Image credit: Joint Typhoon Warning CenterMelor, only the second super typhoon of 2009, will follow a track leading toa landfall up mainland Japan by Thursday. Storm impacts, potentially widespreadand severe, will include destructive winds, flooding rains and mudslides.Greater Tokyo will likely along or near the direct path of Melor.
As of Monday morning, EDT, Super Typhoon Melor packed highest sustained windsof 155 mph. A slight lowering of top sustained wind from the earlier 160-mphreckoning slipped its rating from Category 5 to Category 4, but only barely so.
The storm plowed toward the northwest at 16 mph.
During the next three days, Melor will weaken as it veers northward and thennortheastward east of Okinawa. But Melor may still hold typhoon status as itcrosses the eastern south shore of mainland Honshu late on Wednesday, EDT.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews
