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Typhoon Roke makes landfall in central Japan

Typhoon Roke is moving northeast after making landfall on the Pacific coast of central Japan. The Meteorological Agency is calling for maximum caution against possible mudslides, floods, strong winds and high waves.

The agency says that after making landfall near Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, at around 2 PM, the typhoon was apparently near Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture at 6 PM, heading northeast at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour.

The storm has an atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and is packing winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour.

Maximum instantaneous winds of up to 155 kilometers per hour were observed in Hachioji City, Tokyo, 151 kilometers per hour on Izu-oshima Island, south of Tokyo 125 kilometers in Yokohama City at about 4 PM.

Between 4 PM and 5 PM, 52 millimeters of rain fell in Gotenba City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 44 millimeters in Yamanakako Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, and 43 millimeters in Okunikko, Tochigi Prefecture and 31 millimeters in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. The meteorological agency says that 90 millimeters of rain apparently fell in Fujiyoyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture.

During the past 24 hours, more than 400 millimeters of rain has fallen in Tokai region and Yamanashi Prefecture and more than 200 millimeters of rain fell in northeastern Japan.

The typhoon has left 4 people dead and 3 others missing. 28 people have been injured across the country.

As of 3 PM on Wednesday, more than 1,000 homes in 30 prefectures have been inundated by heavy rain. More than 89,000 households in 13 prefectures have lost power.

Evacuation orders or advisories have been issued for about 177,000 households, or 450,000 people, mainly in western and central Japan.

The typhoon has also disrupted the country's air and shinkansen bullet train services.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 18:45 +0900 (JST)