Typhoon Chaba, the latest named storm in the western North Pacific Basin, willthreaten Okinawa with damaging wind and flooding rain as it sweeps northwardand eastward near Japan this week.As of late Wednesday morning, EDT, the eye of Category 3 Typhoon Chaba waslocated about 245 miles south of Naha, Okinawa, Japan. Highest sustained windswere between 125 mph and 130 mph. The storm was tracking towards the north at 8mph.
Typhoon Chaba on Oct. 27, 2010 (Credit:Navy Research Lab Monterey)Typhoon Chaba will be a powerful and dangerous storm, at times a Category 3hurricane, as it skirts Okinawa and other Ryukyu Islands Thursday into Friday,EDT. While the highest winds, potentially devastating, will stay east of theRyukyus, flooding rain and damaging winds will hit the islands.
Chaba will weaken to a tropical storm as it bears down on the southern mainlandof Japan late in the week. Still, damaging winds and flooding rain could strikesouthern and eastern Japan Friday through Saturday, EDT.
By Jim Andrews, Senior Meteorologist
