Typhoons in Japan
Typhoons occur very often in Japan. On average, they happen about 13 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Okinawa, Nagasaki and Wakayama.The typhoon season in the Pacific usually begins with less severe storms in April and does not end until November. The most severe typhoons usually occur in August and September.
The most severe typhoon to make landfall in Japan in the past 12 months was »In Fa«. It reached a wind speed of up to 139 km/h on July 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm local time near Hirara and was 32 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 1 typhoon. On the open sea, speeds of up to 176 km/h were even measured (category 2).
Other natural hazards in Japan:
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Current satellite image of the western Pacific
21.05.2022 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent typhoons in Japan since 2018
Mindulle: 22nd September to 2nd October 2021
Wind speed:
max. 267 km/h
Diameter:
max. 204 km
Eye:
max. 130 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On October 01st, 2021 at 3:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 241 km southwest of Katsuura in Chiba.
Chanthu: 6th to 18th September 2021
Wind speed:
max. 274 km/h
on land:
max. 72 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Nagasaki
Fukuoka
Oita
Ehime
Tokushima
Wakayama
Mie
Aichi
Shizuoka
Nagasaki
Fukuoka
Oita
Ehime
Tokushima
Wakayama
Mie
Aichi
Shizuoka
In Fa: 16th to 30th July 2021
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
on land:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 951 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
Surigae: 13th to 25th April 2021
Wind speed:
max. 306 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 888 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On April 23rd, 2021 at 6:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 378 km southwest of Itoman in Okinawa.
Chan Hom: 3rd to 19th October 2020
Wind speed:
max. 130 km/h
on land:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Eye:
max. 185 km
Air pressure:
below 965 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Wakayama
Wakayama
Haishen: 30th August to 10th September 2020
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1482 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 910 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Okinawa
Kagoshima
Kumamoto
Nagasaki
Yamaguchi
Okinawa
Kagoshima
Kumamoto
Nagasaki
Yamaguchi
Maysak: 26th August to 7th September 2020
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 148 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Okinawa
Nagasaki
Fukuoka
Okinawa
Nagasaki
Fukuoka
Bavi: 20th to 29th August 2020
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
on land:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 667 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
Hagupit: 30th July to 12th August 2020
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
on land:
max. 111 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 971 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
Bualoi: 17th to 26th October 2019
Wind speed:
max. 259 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Air pressure:
below 922 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On October 26th, 2019 at 9:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 626 km southwest of Nemuro in Hokkaido.
Neoguri: 15th to 22nd October 2019
Wind speed:
max. 170 km/h
Diameter:
max. 482 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 967 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On October 22nd, 2019 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 214 km south of Shingu in Wakayama.
Hagibis: 4th to 14th October 2019
Wind speed:
max. 296 km/h
on land:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1389 km
Eye:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 896 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Wakayama
Shizuoka
Tokyo
Ibaraki
Miyagi
Iwate
Wakayama
Shizuoka
Tokyo
Ibaraki
Miyagi
Iwate
Mitag: 24th September to 5th October 2019
Wind speed:
max. 143 km/h
on land:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 965 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Okinawa
Yamagata
Iwate
Okinawa
Yamagata
Iwate
Tapah: 17th to 23rd September 2019
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Okinawa
Nagasaki
Yamaguchi
Shimane
Aomori
Okinawa
Nagasaki
Yamaguchi
Shimane
Aomori
Lingling: 30th August to 12th September 2019
Wind speed:
max. 207 km/h
on land:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
Faxai: 30th August to 11th September 2019
Wind speed:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 955 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Shizuoka
Kanagawa
Chiba
Ibaraki
Fukushima
Shizuoka
Kanagawa
Chiba
Ibaraki
Fukushima
Bailu: 19th to 26th August 2019
Wind speed:
max. 106 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 980 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On August 24th, 2019 at 6:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 397 km southeast of Ishigaki in Okinawa.
Krosa: 4th to 17th August 2019
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
on land:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1759 km
Air pressure:
below 945 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Kagoshima
Miyazaki
Kochi
Ehime
Hiroshima
Shimane
Kagoshima
Miyazaki
Kochi
Ehime
Hiroshima
Shimane
Lekima: 2nd to 14th August 2019
Wind speed:
max. 217 km/h
on land:
max. 207 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1159 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 918 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
Danas: 14th to 23rd July 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
on land:
max. 78 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 984 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Okinawa
Okinawa
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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