JAPAN today braced for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.
Jebi - whose name means "swallow" in Korean - was briefly a super typhoon and is the latest harsh weather to hit Japan this summer following rains, landslides, floods and record-breaking heat that killed hundreds of people.
Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 252kph, was expected to make landfall on the country’s main island on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
Tides in some areas were the highest since a typhoon in 1961, NHK public television said, with flooding covering the runways at Kansai International Airport in Osaka.
Well ahead of Jebi’s arrival, dangerous seas and surf will build along and near the coast of eastern Kyushu, Shioku and eastern Honshu.
Wave heights over 10 meters are expected in offshore waters east of Shikoku and south of Honshu.
While the exact track of Jebi remains unclear, the latest Accuweather forecast shows the most likely scenario takes the storm near or into Japan between Tuesday and Friday of next week.
Due to the strength of this dangerous tropical cyclone, impacts ranging from life-threatening flooding and mudslides to destructive winds are possible.
The worst impacts would occur if Jebi makes landfall.
However, even if it remains offshore east of Japan, the large tropical cyclone could lash coastal areas with damaging winds and flooding rainfall.
This latest forecast comes after a summer of devastating consequences for Japan.
The country still reeling from devastating flooding in July which claimed more than 200 lives.
Then, shortly afterwards, a sweltering heatwave struck the islands and killed at least 100, sending about 22,000 to hospital.
Jebi is the fourth typhoon to make landfall in Japan this season.
In recent years, Japan has seen an increase in the number of typhoons directly hitting Japan, with at least four making landfall every year since 2014.