Powerful Typhoon Dujuan Brings Record Rain Threat, Landslide Warnings and Mass Evacuation Orders Near Tokyo

Powerful typhoon moves toward eastern Japan

Typhoon Dujuan is moving toward Japan’s eastern Pacific coast, bringing torrential rain, violent winds and a growing landslide threat near Tokyo, Japan.

Authorities have issued evacuation orders for more than 1.6 million people, including residents in and around the capital region. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said 1,674,084 people in Ibaraki Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture were ordered to evacuate.

The orders are not mandatory, but officials are urging residents to act quickly as rain intensifies and slopes become unstable.

The ground is saturated. The storm is still moving.

Highest-level landslide warning issued near Tokyo

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level alert for landslides for the northern part of the Izu Island chain, as Typhoon Dujuan moved toward the country’s eastern coast.

Torrential rain lashed the Izu Islands and the Kanto region in eastern Japan on Monday. The agency issued a Level 5 emergency warning for landslides for Oshima Town, Japan, located about 100 kilometers from Tokyo.

The weather agency said it was extremely likely that landslides had already occurred in the area. Residents were urged to remain on maximum vigilance and take immediate action to ensure their safety.

Authorities advised people to move as far away as possible from cliffs and streams, or to higher floors of buildings if traveling to designated evacuation sites was too dangerous.

Residents told to protect their lives

In Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, authorities issued the highest, fifth-level alert for about 40,000 residents.

Residents were advised to protect themselves by moving to upper floors and staying away from slopes. The city told people to “protect your lives" and climb to higher floors of buildings.

In Tokyo, residents were advised not to enter basements.

That warning reflects one of the main dangers in heavy tropical rain. Water can rush into underground spaces quickly, while landslides can move without much warning once soil gives way.

Woman feared buried alive after landslide

In Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, the fire department received a call from a man whose house had been buried by a landslide.

Yasuhiro Kankeo from the fire department said a woman in her 60s who lived in the house was feared to be buried alive.

Yokosuka is about an hour and a half by car south of Tokyo.

The landslide danger is one of the central hazards from Dujuan. Heavy rain falling over steep ground can loosen soil, send mud and debris downhill, and block access for rescue crews.

Typhoon near Hachijo Island with extreme gusts

As of 2 p.m. local time Monday, Typhoon Dujuan was located about 40 kilometers northwest of Hachijo Island in the Izu Island chain, Japan.

The storm was moving northeast at 25 kilometers per hour. It had a central atmospheric pressure of 960 hectopascals and was producing maximum gusts of 198 kilometers per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Another report said winds were blowing at 130 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 194 kilometers per hour.

Dujuan is the 25th typhoon of the year.

Boso Peninsula faces closest approach

The typhoon was expected to pass near the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, east of Tokyo, from Monday evening into late Monday.

The storm’s approach is bringing the risk of heavy rain, strong winds, transportation disruption and landslides across the Kanto region and other parts of eastern Japan.

Rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average monthly total for September in some areas, raising the possibility of record-breaking rainfall, according to the weather agency.

The rain is not just heavy. It may be unusually persistent and locally extreme.

Up to 250 millimeters of rain forecast

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast up to 250 millimeters of rain in the Tokai region in central Japan, the Kanto region in eastern Japan and the Izu Islands in the 24 hours through noon Tuesday.

Up to 150 millimeters was forecast for the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan.

The same rainfall amount, up to 250 millimeters, was also forecast for the Tokai and Kanto regions and the Izu Islands in other reports.

Such rainfall can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, trigger landslides and flood low-lying roads, especially where rainbands repeatedly cross the same areas.

Hundreds of flights canceled

Typhoon Dujuan severely disrupted air travel across Japan.

At least 275 flights were canceled Monday as authorities warned of potentially record-breaking rainfall. Other reports placed cancellations at around 300 flights.

Japan Airlines canceled 120 domestic flights and 15 international services. All Nippon Airways canceled 140 domestic flights.

The cancellations came as the storm approached the Tokyo region and brought dangerous flying conditions, including heavy rain, low visibility and strong winds.

Rail lines and highways disrupted

The storm also disrupted road and rail travel.

Parts of highways were closed, and some railway lines were suspended. Rail operators in Tokyo and surrounding areas halted services on some lines as the storm affected transport networks.

The weather agency also warned that bullet train services connecting Tokyo and western Japan could face delays and cancellations on Monday afternoon.

Dujuan affected more than daily travel. It created a broad transport slowdown across eastern Japan at the start of the week.

Power outages reported in Chiba and wider storm zone

The storm also caused power outages.

TEPCO reported 50,890 households without electricity. Another report said more than 4,000 households in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, which borders Tokyo, were without power Monday.

Strong gusts, falling trees and saturated ground can damage power lines and delay repairs. In areas under landslide warnings, access to damaged infrastructure can become difficult or unsafe.

Asian Games event postponed, prime minister delayed

The storm also disrupted public events and official travel.

In Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Asian Games organizers postponed the eventing competition until Tuesday because of the approaching typhoon.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s departure for New York, NY, to attend the United Nations General Assembly was delayed by four hours because of the storm. The government indicated she would instead leave Tokyo at 11 p.m. local time.