Super Typhoon Ma-On Could Bring Devastation to Tokyo, Japan

Japan (HDW) October 8, 2004 – Super Typhoon Ma-on, located about 621 miles (1,000 km) southwest of Tokyo, was moving north-northeastward at about 25 mph (40 kph), and could potentially bring sustained winds of 160 mph (257 km/hr) and gusts of up to 185 mph (298 km/hr) to Japan. As the waters south of Japan are currently warmer than average, Ma-On may not weaken much as it approaches Japan, making it an extremely dangerous storm. Given its current trajectory, forecasts suggest that Super Typhoon Ma-On will make landfall somewhere between Kyoto and Tokyo within the next 48 hours. As Ma-On passes over mountains in the central part of the island, there will likely be extremely heavy precipitation in various places with the potential for flash flooding and mudslides. Local residents are encouraged to take safety precautions. The picture above, taken by a NASA satellite, demonstrates the awesome power of the storm as it approaches Japan.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts that the super typhoon should lose strength over the next day as it merges with a sub-tropical jet. When the typhoon reaches land, it should lose a lot of its energy as it causes flash floods and rain storms between Tokyo and Kyoto. This 2004 typhoon season has been the worst Typhoon Season on record for Japan.