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Twin typhoons battering the Western Pacific

Craig McIntosh, Monday October 1, 2018 - 14:07 AEST

As Typhoon Trami generates destructive winds, flooding rainfall and coastal inundation in Japan, other countries in the Western Pacific are bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Kong-rey.

Adding to what has been a horror severe weather season for Japan, Typhoon Trami has crossed the island of Honshu, unleashing wind gusts over 160km/h and torrential rain. Trami has been a slow-mover, taking around a week between forming and reaching southern Japan, with Okinawa bearing the brunt of the storm.

Alongside the destructive winds and flooding rains, huge waves well over 10 metres have been generated by the system, and when combined with storm surge, has flooded many coastal communities. It's a blow for a country still reeling from the impact of Typhoon Jebi last month, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years.

Further south, Typhoon Kong-rey is gathering momentum as it traverses northwest across the Philippine Sea. Latest reports have Kong-rey generating wind gusts well over 200km/h, potentially reaching 300km/h as the typhoon strengthens over the next 36 hours. Significant wave heights of around 10 metres are being recorded, meaning there are much bigger rogue waves near the system.

At this stage, the forecast track for Typhoon Kong-rey is to maintain a northwest direction, shifting to a northerly direction later in the week as it passes over the southwestern islands of the Okinawa Prefecture. As always with tropical systems, there is a chance the forecast track may change, though it is still likely to bring severe weather to many East Asian countries, including Japan once again.

- Weatherzone

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