Typhoon Khanun eases off Japan's Okinawa, but islands brace for return of "unusual" storm (updated)

Okinawa Electric Power

04/08/2023 08:32

(Recasts throughout)
    By Elaine Lies
       TOKYO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Typhoon Khanun weakened
slightly and hovered in the East China Sea on Friday, but it is
still expected to approach Japan's Okinawa islands again, and
even head for the main islands, making it what forecasters said
was a "very unusual storm." 
    Khanun, which means "jackfruit" in Thai, has killed two
people and currently has sustained winds of 126 kph (78 mph),
with gusts up to 180 kph, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
    The typhoon was almost stationary on Friday, as it has been
for well over 12 hours, the agency said. 
    Situated about 270 km (168 miles) north-northwest of
Okinawa's Miyako Island as of 7 a.m. (2200 GMT), Khanun is
forecast to make a sudden, sharp turn to the east on Friday
evening and start heading north toward Japan's main islands.
    Typhoons moving from west to east are not unusual, but 
forecasters said Khanun was different.
    "I'm always watching the movement of storms, but the way
this one is acting is very unusual," said Miho Oda, a forecaster
with the Japan Weather Association. 
    "Summer typhoons move in a very complicated way, but even
given that, this one is very strange. The fact that it's
returning the way it came is really not usual."
    Khanun's movements have mainly been determined by the
presence of high pressure systems, with the storm first moving
west along the edge of one strong system covering most of Japan
- which has sizzled at near-record heat.
    While this weakened slightly, other systems blocked
movements to the west and the north, resulting in the storm
stalling until it finally began turning east around noon on
Friday, she added. 
    Another unusual feature of Khanun is that it is predicted to
strengthen slightly as it moves north towards Japan, where
cooler seawaters tend to weaken storms. 
    Oda said that while water temperatures around Okinawa are
fairly normal, the temperatures surrounding Japan's four main
islands are ranging from 1 to 5 degrees higher than usual.
    Mie University professor Yoshihiro Tachibana, who termed
Khanun "abnormal," said changes in westerly winds and warm
waters kept the storm strong and contributed to its slowness.
    "A simple explanation is the temperature of seawater is high
- and one reason for that is global warming," he told TV Asahi. 
    But an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said each
storm is unique and it's hard to say how unusual Kanun may be.
    "It is true that the temperature of the sea water is 1 to 2
degrees above normal, but I don't think we can attribute
everything to climate change," he added, declining to be named
in line with agency policy.
    In northern Taiwan, land warnings were lifted on Friday and
businesses and schools that were shut on Thursday due to the
typhoon reopened. In the capital Taipei, more than 200 trees and
street signs were downed, but no major damage was reported.
    Authorities, however, were on high alert for more heavy rain
to be dumped in the wake of the typhoon over the weekend in
central and southern Taiwan, where close to a half meter of
rainfall has been recorded.

 (Additional Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo; Additional
reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei; Editing by Sonali Paul and
Michael Perry)
 ((Satoshi.Sugiyama@thomsonreuters.com))