Nearly two million people in Japan have been urged to evacuate their homes as Typhoon Dujuan makes landfall, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall across several prefectures. The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued warnings of an imminent threat to life, though several advisories have since been downgraded. A danger to life warning remains in effect for Oshima Town.

The storm has already caused significant disruption, with over 50,000 households experiencing power outages. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, and numerous rail services have been suspended, impacting travel during a significant national holiday period. Dujuan is characterized by sustained winds of 130 km/h (80.8 mph) and gusts reaching 194 km/h (120.5 mph).

Authorities have advised the public to remain vigilant and monitor weather updates closely. While initial warnings for heavy rain and landslides have been lifted or downgraded in most areas, level four warnings, indicating the need for evacuation to prevent death or injury from landslides and other dangers, persist in Shinagawa Ward, Toshima Village, and Niijima Village.

The typhoon's arrival has led to the cancellation of major events, including concerts at the Rock in Japan music festival and the Monday program at the Tokyo Game Show. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly postponed her trip to the United States, where she was scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump and address the UN General Assembly, to oversee the nation's response to the typhoon.

Reports from emergency services indicate at least one potential fatality. The Yokosuka City Fire Department reported that a woman in her 60s may have been swept away and is feared buried alive after her house was affected by a landslide. In Chiba Prefecture, a man in his 50s was rescued after becoming trapped in a bamboo thicket with heavy machinery while clearing debris from a landslide. Firefighters in Kanagawa prefecture also responded to a report of a house being crushed by a landslide.

Typhoon Dujuan is the 25th typhoon to affect Japan this year and arrives amidst a period of heightened storm activity in the Pacific. Scientists suggest that while climate change may not be increasing the overall number of storms globally, warmer ocean temperatures, exacerbated by phenomena like the current super El Niño, are likely intensifying the storms that do form. This leads to higher wind speeds and increased rainfall potential.

The super El Niño phenomenon, which brings warmer waters to the tropical Pacific, is contributing to the increased intensity of storms. Warmer ocean waters provide more energy for typhoons, resulting in stronger winds. Additionally, a warmer atmosphere can retain more moisture, leading to heavier precipitation events.

As the nation grapples with the immediate impacts of Typhoon Dujuan, attention is also turning to the long-term implications of increasingly intense weather events. Experts continue to study the complex relationship between climate change, natural weather cycles like El Niño, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather phenomena affecting regions like Japan.