Typhoon Choi-wan dumps rain on Tokyo

TOKYO (AFP) Sep 21, 2003
Heavy rains lashed Tokyo and the islands south of the Japanese capital Sunday as Typhoon Choi-wan looked on course to pass south of Japan on its way out into the Pacific Ocean, the Meteorological Agency said.

With winds blowing up to 126 kilometers (78 miles) per hour, the typhoon was located 310 kilometers south southeast of the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture south of Osaka as of 2:00 pm (0500 GMT), the agency said.

The strong typhoon was headed east northeast at 30 kilometers per hour, with the edge of the storm system passing over Tokyo early Monday morning and its center passing very near the Izu islands in Sagami Bay to the south.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Izu islands had already received 200 millimeters (eight inches) of rain associated with the typhoon, with some 400 millimeters expected to fall in the 24 hours to noon Monday, the agency said.

The Tokyo region was expected to see 150-200 millimeters over the same period.

The agency warned of seven to nine meter (23-30 foot) high waves, high river levels, house flooding and landslides.

TERRA.WIRE