As Tropical Storm Dujuan retraces its strengthening arc toward typhoon status, the volcanic Izu Islands south of Tokyo find themselves in the path of a system that refuses to relent. The storm reminds us that nature's rhythms do not honor the boundaries we draw between safe and endangered ground — even a near-miss can compress a month's worth of rain into a single day. While Japan's great mainland cities brace for the outer edges of Dujuan's reach, the quietude of the Atlantic hurricane season offers a strange counterpoint, as if the world's storms are gathering their energies unevenly, leavin
Japan braces as Tropical Storm Dujuan set to restrengthen into typhoon
Evacuation warnings in place for Izu Islands residents; widespread flooding and landslide risks threaten populated coastal areas and Tokyo metropolitan region.
38% of September's typical rainfall in a single evening
Mark
So Dujuan weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday, but it's going to strengthen again by Tuesday? That seems like an odd pattern.
Mimi
It does happen. Tropical systems can fluctuate in intensity as they move over different water temperatures and encounter varying atmospheric conditions. In this case, Dujuan is expected to regain enough energy to cross back into typhoon territory.
Luke
But we should be clear about what "expected" means here. These are forecasts. The track could shift, the timing could change. The confidence in the restrenthening is presumably high, but it's not certain.
Mark
Fair point. So if it does restrengthen, what does that mean for the people on the Izu Islands?
Mimi
Winds of 80 miles per hour sustained, with gusts near 100. That's destructive wind speed. Combined with the rainfall—potentially 80 millimeters in three hours on the Izu peninsula—you're looking at a serious threat of flooding and landslides. That's why evacuation warnings are in place.
Luke
The evacuation warnings are already there, which suggests authorities are taking this seriously. But I'd want to know how many people actually live on the Izu Islands, and whether the evacuation is mandatory or advisory. The source doesn't specify.
Mark
What about Tokyo? It's not in the direct path, but it sounds like it could still get hammered.
Mimi
The Tokyo metro area is facing the heaviest rain of any mainland location. Models suggest 90 millimeters could fall in six hours on Monday evening. That's not typhoon-force wind, but it's enough rain to cause significant flooding in urban areas, especially if drainage systems get overwhelmed.
Luke
Again, those are model projections. Different models often disagree on rainfall amounts, especially for a specific city. The 90 millimeters is what some models suggest, not a certainty.
Mark
So the real story is that Japan is bracing for something that could be quite serious, but the exact impacts depend on how the storm actually behaves.
Mimi
Exactly. The Izu Islands are almost certainly going to take a hit. The mainland will experience significant rain and wind, but probably not catastrophic. The uncertainty is in the details—how much rain, exactly where, how long it lasts.
Der Puls
- Dujuan has already proven its volatility — reaching typhoon strength on Friday, retreating by Sunday, and now forecast to surge back to 80mph sustained winds and 100mph gusts by Tuesday.
- The Izu Islands, a volcanic chain dangling south of Tokyo Bay, sit squarely in the storm's projected path, with evacuation warnings already issued for residents.
- The rainfall threat may be the most dangerous element: Tokyo faces up to 90mm in six hours Monday evening, while the Izu peninsula could absorb 80mm in just three hours — 38% of September's entire typical rainfall.
- Landslide and flooding alerts stretch across Japan's Pacific coast, and the densely populated Tokyo metropolitan region will feel the storm's outer bands even without a direct strike.
- After passing through the islands, Dujuan is expected to curve northeast and dissipate over the northwest Pacific — but not before delivering its full weight to exposed coastal communities.
- In an unusual global contrast, the Atlantic hurricane season remains historically quiet, with no hurricane yet formed — the latest such absence in the satellite era.
As Tropical Storm Dujuan retraces its strengthening arc toward typhoon status, the volcanic Izu Islands south of Tokyo find themselves in the path of a system that refuses to relent. The storm reminds us that nature's rhythms do not honor the boundaries we draw between safe and endangered ground — even a near-miss can compress a month's worth of rain into a single day. While Japan's great mainland cities brace for the outer edges of Dujuan's reach, the quietude of the Atlantic hurricane season offers a strange counterpoint, as if the world's storms are gathering their energies unevenly, leaving some shores unusually still.
Tropical Storm Dujuan is bearing down on Japan along a track that will spare the mainland a direct hit but send the Izu Islands into the storm's core. The system has already demonstrated its instability — it crossed into typhoon territory on Friday before weakening back to tropical storm status by Sunday — and forecasters expect it to regain typhoon strength by Tuesday, with sustained winds of 80mph and gusts approaching 100mph.
The Izu Islands, a chain of volcanic islands extending south from Tokyo Bay, lie directly in Dujuan's projected path. Evacuation warnings are already in place. Beyond the islands, flooding, landslide, and high-wave alerts cover a broad stretch of Japan's Pacific-facing coastline, including the Chubu and Kanto regions.
The rainfall figures are sobering. The Tokyo metropolitan area could see close to 90 millimeters of rain in just six hours on Monday evening — part of a potential 200-millimeter single-day total that would rival an entire month's average. The Izu peninsula faces an even more concentrated deluge, with over 80 millimeters possible in three hours, representing 38 percent of the region's typical September rainfall. Though the storm's track spares Tokyo a direct blow, the outer bands alone will test the city's capacity to absorb water.
Dujuan is expected to curve northeast after passing through the islands and dissipate over the northwest Pacific later in the week. Meanwhile, the Atlantic hurricane season continues its strange silence — no hurricane has yet formed in 2026, the latest such absence since satellite records began. Southwestern Europe, by contrast, is bracing for an unseasonable heat surge, with parts of Spain and Portugal climbing into the low-to-mid 30s Celsius, and Santiago de Compostela potentially reaching 35 degrees — some 12 degrees above normal for late September.
Tropical Storm Dujuan is moving toward Japan on a path that will spare the mainland a direct strike but deliver a punishing blow to the Izu Islands instead. The system has already cycled through typhoon strength once—it crossed that threshold on Friday before dropping back to tropical storm status by Sunday morning—and forecasters expect it to climb back to typhoon intensity by Tuesday. When it does, sustained winds will reach 80 miles per hour, with gusts pushing toward 100.
The Izu Islands, a chain of volcanic islands stretching south from Tokyo Bay, sit directly in Dujuan's projected track. Evacuation warnings are already in place for residents there. The broader threat extends across a wide swath of Japan's Pacific coast: heavy rain, flooding, and landslide alerts have been issued for exposed coastal areas and islands throughout the region. High waves add another layer of danger to communities already bracing for the storm's arrival.
The rainfall projections are the most striking measure of what Dujuan will deliver. Along the southern coasts of the Chubu and Kanto regions—which include the Tokyo metropolitan area—about 200 millimeters of rain could fall in a single 24-hour period. That is roughly equivalent to the entire month's average rainfall compressed into one day. Tokyo itself faces the heaviest downpour, with some forecasting models suggesting nearly 90 millimeters could fall within just six hours on Monday evening. Further south, the Izu peninsula could receive more than 80 millimeters in three hours alone—an amount that represents 38 percent of the region's typical September rainfall.
Dujuan is expected to continue moving northeast after passing through the islands, eventually dissipating over the northwest Pacific later in the week. The storm's track, while sparing Japan's main population centers a direct hit, means that the densely populated Tokyo region will still experience significant impacts from the outer bands of rain and wind.
Elsewhere in the world's weather systems, the Atlantic hurricane season continues its unusual quietness. Tropical Storm Fay formed southwest of the Azores over the weekend but is not expected to intensify further. This extends a notable record: the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season has yet to form, making this the latest start to hurricane season in the satellite era. The previous record was September 11, set in 2002 with Hurricane Gustav and matched again in 2013 with Hurricane Humberto. Meanwhile, southwestern Europe is preparing for a final burst of summer heat, with temperatures across Spain and Portugal climbing well above normal for late September—into the low to mid 30s Celsius. Even in the northwestern corner of Spain, in Santiago de Compostela, highs could reach about 35 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, roughly 12 degrees above the typical high for that time of year.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Dujuan is expected to continue north-eastwards before dissipating in the north-west Pacific later this week— Weather forecasters
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