Typhoon Dujuan Prompts Evacuations for Nearly Two Million in Japan

Nearly two million people in Japan are under evacuation orders as Typhoon Dujuan batters the country with strong winds and heavy rain. The Japan Meteorological Agency initially warned of an “imminent threat to life,” but has since downgraded several warnings, though a level four warning remains in place for some areas. Sustained winds of 130km/h (80.8mph) and gusts of 194 km/h have caused power outages for over 50,000 people and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and rail services.

Dujuan, the 25th typhoon of the year for Japan, arrived during a five-day holiday, forcing the cancellation of events including concerts at the Rock in Japan music festival and Monday’s program at the Tokyo Game Show. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delayed a planned trip to the United States to monitor the typhoon’s effects, postponing a meeting with US President Donald Trump and a speech at the UN General Assembly.

Emergency services have responded to multiple incidents. The Yokosuka City Fire Department reported a woman in her 60s may have been swept away and buried in a landslide, while the Sodegaura City Fire Department in Chiba prefecture rescued a man in his 50s who fell into a bamboo thicket at a landslide site. Firefighters in Kanagawa prefecture received a report of a house crushed by a landslide. Authorities continue to advise the public to stay informed about weather updates. The storm is occurring amidst a “super El Niño” which has warmed ocean waters and is contributing to the intensity of storms in the Pacific. While climate change is not thought to be increasing the number of typhoons globally, it is likely increasing their intensity, with warmer waters fueling higher wind speeds and heavier rainfall.

Background

• Japan experiences an average of ten typhoons annually, with the season typically running from May to October [background knowledge].
• In May 2023, Super Typhoon Mawar severely damaged NASA’s Guam Remote Station, requiring over three years of repairs and highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to extreme weather events [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-17].
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern Japan in July 2026, triggering tsunami advisories and causing power outages, demonstrating the region’s susceptibility to multiple natural disasters [Fact Refinery, 2026-07-28].
• Typhoon Bavi impacted East Asia in July 2026, leading to over one million evacuations in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, indicating a pattern of significant typhoon activity in the region [Fact Refinery, 2026-07-11].

Our reading

Our reading is that Japan is facing a substantial, though currently downgraded, threat from Typhoon Dujuan, necessitating large-scale evacuations and disruption of public life. The postponement of the Prime Minister’s international trip underscores the seriousness with which the government is treating the situation, even after initial warnings were lessened. The confluence of this storm with a “super El Niño” and the acknowledged link between climate change and typhoon intensity suggests a growing pattern of extreme weather events in the Pacific.

What to watch

• The number of people remaining under evacuation orders in the coming 24-48 hours, which would indicate the storm’s ultimate impact and the effectiveness of preventative measures [Japan Meteorological Agency website].
• Reports of structural damage and casualties from the areas affected by landslides, specifically Yokosuka, Sodegaura, and Kanagawa, to assess the full extent of the typhoon’s devastation [local fire department websites].
• Any revisions to the Prime Minister’s travel schedule, indicating a continued or lessened level of concern regarding the typhoon’s effects [Prime Minister’s office website].

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