Heavy rain hits Shizuoka Prefecture on Sept. 5 from linear rainband formed as Typhoon No. 15 made landfall earlier in the day. The downpour halted Shinkansen operations at JR Mishima station. (Provided by Asahi Shimbun readers)

Photo/Illutration The expected path of Typhoon No. 15 as of noon on Sept. 5 (Captured from JMA’s website)

Typhoon No. 15 made landfall in northern Wakayama Prefecture on Sept. 5, raising the risk of heavy rain and related disasters even in areas far from the storm, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. 

The typhoon hit land at around 9 a.m., and by 2 p.m., it was near Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and moving east-northeast at 65 kph. It is expected to approach the Kanto region during the evening rush hour. 

Due to the warm, moist air circulating around both the typhoon and a high-pressure system, as well as a front crossing the main island of Honshu, heavy rain is forecast over a wide area on Sept. 5. 

At 2:25 p.m., lightning generated in the bad weather conditions hit a Jetstar Japan Co. flight en route to Fukuoka, the low-cost carrier said.

The plane returned to Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture about an hour later for inspection. None of the 222 passengers or seven crew members was injured.

As of 3:30 p.m., torrential rain continued to fall in eastern Kanagawa Prefecture, leading the JMA to issue a heavy rain alert to the affected areas.

Linear rainbands also formed in central and western Shizuoka Prefecture at around 1 p.m.

About 120 mm of rain reportedly fell from noon to 1 p.m. near Kakegawa and Makinohara in the prefecture. 

Linear rainbands may form over the Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions in the evening. 

The JMA has forecast a maximum 200 mm of rain in the Kanto-Koshin region, 150 mm in the Tokai region and 80 mm in the Tohoku region for the 24-hour period until noon on Sept. 6.

The JMA is calling for vigilance against landslides, flooding and river overflows in these regions. 

Typhoon No. 15 had a central atmospheric pressure of 994 hectopascals, with maximum instantaneous wind speeds near the center reaching 82.8 kph and gusts of 126 kph as of 2 p.m. on Sept. 5. 

In Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, an estimated 100 millimeters of torrential rain fell from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Sept. 5. The JMA has issued a heavy rain alert for the region. 

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