Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Lupit brushed past Japan leaving blue skies in its wake in Tokyo, as a storm gathered strength east of the Philippines, where relief efforts continue after two cyclones in the past month.
The center of Lupit was 472 kilometers (294 miles) east of the city of Kushiro on Hokkaido in northern Japan at 3 p.m. local time today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Lupit was moving north-northeast at 85 kph, the JMA said. Earlier it said the storms winds were blowing at 111 kph.
Warnings for high waves and storms were in effect for parts of Hokkaido. Five people were injured and taken to the hospital yesterday after an American Airlines aircraft experienced turbulence about 70 kilometers southeast of Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Kyodo News reported.
Lupit was a Category 5 storm, the most powerful, at one point during its two-week odyssey across the Pacific, where it twice turned back on a path for the Philippines before heading toward Japan. A new storm strengthened overnight off the Philippines and may approach Luzon by the end of this week.
Luzon is reeling from the effects of tropical cyclones Ketsana and Parma, which caused landslides and flooding that killed at least 929 people in Manila and other parts of the island.
Winds Strengthen
Tropical Storm 23W was 160 kilometers northwest of the American territory of Guam at 1:30 p.m. local time today, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Service’s Web site.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 83 kph from 65 kph earlier today, as it moved west-northwest at 27 kph. Tropical storm warning and watches for Saipan and Guam have been discontinued.
The storm is forecast to strengthen to a typhoon with winds of 130 kph by 2 a.m. Manila time tomorrow, according to the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The center’s five-day forecast indicates the storm will continue strengthening and cross the coast Luzon with winds of 194 kph on Oct. 31.
Lupit means cruel in Tagalog, one of the main languages of the Philippines, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which lists names in use for Pacific storms on its Web site.
To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo at asheldrick@bloomberg.net.
