Watches Issued In Caribbean For Future Ernesto
Typhoon Kong-rey, after reaching Category 5 intensity, swiped Japan's Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, as a tropical storm before racing toward the Korean Peninsula and mainland Japan.
Kong-rey made landfall Saturday morning local time near Chinhae Naval Base, South Korea, as a tropical storm with 65-mph maximum sustained winds.
The center of Tropical Storm Kong-rey passed just west of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Thursday.
Winds consistently gusted from 50 to 70 mph at Kadena Air Base Thursday and Thursday night as outer rainbands lashed the area. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a peak gust to 90 mph was clocked in Tokashiki. Parts of Okinawa Prefecture picked up over 11 inches of rain. Locally over 15 inches of rain fell well ahead of Kong-rey on Kyushu, one of Japan's four main islands, in Miyazaki Prefecture.
Taking advantage of ample ocean-heat content and low wind shear, Kong-rey reached its maximum intensity two days prior to reaching Okinawa when it was the equivalent of a Category 5.
(MORE: Where the Planet's Most Intense Tropical Cyclones Most Frequently Happen)
Kong-rey lost much of that intensity as it tracked over the cooler water wake generated from Typhoon Trami the week before, and after it ingested dry air.
The last weekend of September, Kong-rey brought some rain, gusty winds and high surf to Guam. The National Weather Service had posted a tropical storm watch for the U.S. island territory.
Kong-rey followed on the heels of Typhoon Trami, which made landfall in the Wakayama Prefecture of southern Japan as a Category 1 equivalent September 30 local time.
Trami brought a 125-mph wind gust to Nanjo City on the southern part of Okinawa Island, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.
Typhoon Fatigue
Trami and Kong-rey continued an active stretch of typhoons.
In mid-September, Super Typhoon Mangkhut raked across the northern Philippines at Category 5 intensity with damaging winds, flooding rain and deadly landslides. Mangkhut's eyewall then raked far southeastern China, blowing out windows in Hong Kong high rises.
In early September, Typhoon Jebi sliced across Japan, producing extensive wind damage and pushing storm surge over Kansai International Airport.
Jebi was the seventh typhoon to either landfall or brush closely to Japan since early July.
In an average year, Japan's four largest islands get two to three typhoon landfalls, according to factsanddetails.com.
Including tropical depressions and tropical storms, 13 tropical cyclones have tracked over or close enough to strike Japan this year, starting with Tropical Storm Seven in mid-June.
The most impactful weather in Japan this summer, though, wasn't tied to a typhoon.
Torrential rain along a stalled front triggered deadly flooding in southwestern Japan in early July, followed by a deadly heat wave, during which the nation's all-time record high was broken. The combination of events claimed over 300 lives.
