More typhoons threaten East Asia

The Pacific typhoon season is heading towards its peak and there are currently two major storm systems which will cause significant disruption in the coming days.

Of immediate concern is Typhoon Nari. This storm hit the Philippines at the weekend causing extensive damage and leaving at least 13 people dead.

Since then, Nari has regained its dynamic structure, feeding off the warm waters of the South China Sea. It is expected to make landfall over central Vietnam at approximately 18GMT on Monday.

The major cities of Hue and Da Nang are directly in Nari’s path and are likely to be hit with sustained winds of 105kph and gusts of 195kph. Large waves and a one to two metre storm surge are expected to pound the coastline but the coastal topography here is such that significant inland penetration is unlikely.

Flooding from the torrential rain is expected to be more of an issue, with as much as 500mm of rain hitting central Vietnam as far inland as the border with Laos.

Nari will then disintegrate quite quickly but flooding will be an issue for both Laos and the far east of Thailand.

Meanwhile, more than 2,000km to the west-northwest, Typhoon Wipha, is heading northeastwards towards Japan.

Although it will weaken considerably as it heads over the cooler waters of the North Pacific, Wipha is still expected to have a major impact on the large conurbations of the country’s largest island, Honshu.

Wipha will pass less than 200km to the south of Tokyo at 00GMT Wednesday. Sustained winds of more than 120kph could well result in the closure of the airports on the eastern side of the island, with a knock-on effect on flights across the region.

Rainfall on the eastern side of Honshu, including Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo is expected to be in excess of 250mm.

The eastern side of Hokkaido will also be affected by heavy rain and disruption is likely here, too, for a time.

Fortunately Wipha is a fast-moving system and should clear through within 24 hours.

It is too early to predict whether Wipha will mark the end of the Pacific typhoon season. Although the majority of storms form between May and October, the season does continue until the end of the year.