Tokyo Issues "Level 5" Landslide Emergency Warning as Typhoon No. 25 Approaches; Prime Minister Delays Departure

Emergency Safety Order Issued for All 3,020 Oshima Residents
Property Damage, Flooding, and Flight Cancellations Reported

Due to the approach of the large Typhoon No. 25, the highest level "Level 5" special landslide warning was issued for Oshima-machi, Tokyo, Japan.

Typhoon No. 25 Expected Path. Screenshot from Japan Meteorological Association.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on September 21, Typhoon No. 25 was moving northeast at a speed of 30 km/h in the sea near the Izu Islands as of 2:00 p.m. The central pressure was 960 hPa, and the maximum instantaneous wind speed was 55 meters per second.

From September 19 to noon on this day, Oshima-machi received 583 mm of rainfall, prompting authorities to issue an "emergency safety assurance" for all 1,901 households and 3,020 people on the island. In other parts of the Izu Islands, torrential rain of approximately 110 mm per hour was observed.

At 12:40 p.m. on this day, the Japan Meteorological Agency declared the highest Level 5 landslide emergency warning for Oshima-machi, which is the most severe among the five-stage warning system. Level 5 indicates that a major disaster is very likely to have already occurred.

The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents of Oshima-machi that "the threat to life is imminent," advising that "if evacuating to a shelter is dangerous, you should immediately secure your safety on the second floor or higher of a building, or in a room away from cliffs and valleys."

As the typhoon's rain clouds moved northward, a Level 4 landslide risk warning was issued for central Tokyo, including Shibuya and Minato wards. Some rivers in the greater metropolitan area surpassed the flood danger level, and a landslide risk warning was declared for central Tokyo as well. There have been ongoing reports of property damage, including house destruction, flooding, and flight cancellations.

In Chiba Prefecture, a vacant house was completely destroyed by a landslide, and several other residences were flooded. In another incident, a vehicle crashed into earth and debris from a landslide, injuring the driver. In Yokohama, a partial collapse of an apartment building's foundation led to evacuation orders for the residents.

As for air travel, a total of 275 flights were canceled, including 140 by All Nippon Airways and 135 by Japan Airlines, stranding approximately 42,000 passengers. Some railway operations in Chiba Prefecture were suspended, and the Tokaido Shinkansen also faced possible delays or suspensions.

Due to the typhoon's impact, Ueno Zoo and Hamarikyu Gardens, both located in Tokyo, were closed for the day. Kamogawa SeaWorld in Chiba Prefecture also temporarily suspended operations.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was originally scheduled to depart for New York City for the United Nations General Assembly at 7:00 p.m. on the same day but postponed her departure by four hours to 11:00 p.m. It has been reported that there are no changes to her local itinerary.

Typhoon No. 25 is forecast to approach very close to Tokyo and the greater metropolitan area late into the night on this day. The Japan Meteorological Agency projected that up to 250 mm of additional rainfall could fall in Tokyo, as well as Kanto, the Izu Islands, and the Tokai region by noon on September 22. In some areas, the accumulated rainfall may surpass the average for the entire month of September.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.