Typhoon Man-Yi gives beating to Okinawa

[phantom power]

Looks like a bunch of smaller islands took a direct category-4 hit.

In the Pacific, Typhoon Man-Yi battered Japan's Okinawa Island this morning, striking as a super typhoon with 155 mph winds. Naha, Okinawa recorded sustained winds of 76 mph with gusts to 105 mph (Figure 1), and a pressure of 939 mb. This was very close the the minimum pressure estimated by satellite, 937 mb. Media reports indicate substantial damage occurred on Okinawa, and over 100,000 people lost power. Twelve crew members of a Chinese ship were missing after the vessel sank some 600 km northwest of Guam in strong winds and high seas. Man-Yi is expected to make landfall on the Japanese island of Kyushu Saturday. However, the storm should weaken to a Category 1 storm by landfall, as wind shear from an approaching trough of low pressure has already reached 20 knots on the west side of the storm, and is expected to increase further. Some links for those following the storm:
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=716&tstamp=200707

[Hissyspit]

1. I was born on Okinawa. n/t

[stevekatz]

2. I live

just outside of Tokyo, been raining good all day! Looking forward to some good wind outa this tommorow!

--Steve