A slow-moving, powerful typhoon has hit the island of Okinawa, knocking out power and killing at least one person. Hundreds of flights to Okinawa and other islands in southwestern Japan have been canceled.
While Okinawa is used to tropical storms, they generally arrive later in the yearImage: JIJI Press/AFP
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Typhoon Khanun battered Japan's southwest islands on Wednesday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people on the island of Okinawa and leaving at least one person dead.
Emergency officials said that a 90-year-old man was crushed by a collapsing garage and died of cardiac arrest, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) described the slow-moving typhoon as "very strong," with maximum sustained wind speeds of 180 kilometers (111 miles) per hour.
Television footage showed high winds flipping over cars in parking lots. The JMA reported wind gusts reaching nearly 200 kilometers per hour in some locations on Okinawa. More than 250 millimeters (9.8 inches) of rain has fallen in 24 hours, according to the JMA.
Power knocked out, transport stopped
Around 35% of households in the region, numbering 220,580 in total, were experiencing power outages as of Wednesday morning, according to the Okinawa Electric Power company's website.
Mobile operators said phone and internet connections were disrupted in some areas because of the power outage.
Hundreds of flights to Okinawa and other islands in southwestern Japan were canceled, affecting over 65,000 passengers and stranding some tourists at beach resorts.
Typhoon Khanun has come to Okinawa during peak tourist seasonImage: Kyodo News/AP/dpa/picture alliance
The airport in Okinawa's capital city, Naha, remained closed for a second day on Wednesday. Over 30 ferry lines were also suspended, according to Japan's Transport Ministry.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued an evacuation warning across Okinawa and the southern part of the Kagoshima region, directing more than 690,000 residents to leave their homes for safety. The JMA has warned of floods and landslides in parts of the Okinawa island.
Where is Khanun heading next?
The JMA said it expected the typhoon to move through the East China Sea toward China's Zhejiang province and north of Taiwan by Friday. The storm is then expected to turn toward the northeast, potentially heading to Japan's third-largest island, Kyushu.
China is currently reeling from the devastation brought about by Typhoon Doksuri. On Wednesday, officials in Beijing said the 744 millimeters (29 inches) of rain that fell on the Chinese capital between Saturday and Wednesday was the heaviest rainfall recorded in 140 years.
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
Image: AFP/D. Sarkar
Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan
Residents along Bangladesh's coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.
Image: AFP/District Administration of Bhola
Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
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Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
Image: Reuters
A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
Image: Reuters
Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
Image: Fotolia/Daniel Loretto
Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
