Latest news with #PhilippineSea
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Weather tracker: Typhoon Podul pounds southern Taiwan
Typhoon Podul crossed southern Taiwan on Wednesday with wind speeds of up to 110mph (177km/h), equivalent to a category 2 hurricane. Podul had developed a week earlier, near the Northern Mariana Islands, and tracked west across the Philippine Sea, achieving typhoon status on Tuesday before making landfall in south-east Taiwan the following day. Podul whipped up high waves along the east coast, where a man died after being swept away while fishing. As the storm travelled overland, it dumped large amounts of rain across the south of the island, with 440mm recorded in parts of Pingtung County, causing widespread flooding and agricultural damage. Schools, offices and businesses closed as the storm approached, with more than 7,000 people evacuated from their homes, mainly in mountainous regions, amid fears of flash flooding and landslides. Almost 300,000 homes lost power, shipping routes were suspended, and about 400 flights were cancelled, including domestic trips. Podul then veered north-east across the Taiwan strait and weakened slightly to a severe tropical storm, before making landfall once again in Fujian province, China, in the early hours of Thursday. Despite weaker winds, Podul lashed south-east China with similarly torrential rain – Macau on the south coast recorded 110mm in an hour. Cape Verde experienced similar downpours on Monday after Tropical Storm Erin developed nearby, causing flash flooding on the north-west islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente. São Vicente received 193mm of rain within five hours, more than 150% of the yearly average. At least nine deaths have been reported, with several people missing and about 1,500 displaced. Erin will pass to the north of the Caribbean over the weekend, and is expected to achieved hurricane status. Meanwhile, as a heatwave grips the Middle East, the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley have particularly suffered in recent days. The region is susceptible to high temperatures because of its low altitude – it is several hundred metres below sea level in places – and temperatures locally approached 50C (122F) on Wednesday. Unusually high humidity – about 80% at times – has contributed to sweltering temperatures. As humid air cools more slowly than drier air, overnight cooling has been limited, leading Israel to record its highest overnight minimum on Wednesday, where it reached 38C near Mount Sodom. Temperature records were also set in southern and western Europe this week as yet another heatwave swept the continent. Alongside myriad date records, several all-time peaks were hit in southern France on Sunday and Monday, including in the department of Aude (43.4C) and the cities of Angoulême, Bergerac and Bordeaux (42.1C, 42.1C and 41.6C respectively). Also on Monday, it reached record highs in the Croatian cities of Šibenik (39.5C) and Dubrovnik (38.9C).
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Royal Navy flexes its military muscles in show of strength to China as HMS Prince of Wales joins fleet of warships from US, Japan and Australia in northern Philippine Sea
Britain's mighty aircraft carrier strike group has flexed its muscles in a show of strength to China during a major series of military drills with American, Japan and Australia. The Royal Navy's £3.5billion flagship HMS Prince of Wales - the most powerful warship ever built by the UK - showed off her skills during a nine-day exercise in the northern Philippine Sea. The war games, one of the biggest held in the region, saw Nato ships from American, Spain, Norway and Britain joining forces with Australian and Japanese allies. Thousands of military personnel from four battle groups - the USS George Washington's Carrier Strike Group Five, USMC Amphibious Ready Group, Japan's Kaga Battle Group, and the UK's own fleet - were involved. The exercise also saw Britain's fleet of supersonic F-35B stealth jets taking to the skies in mock dog fights and simulated attack runs. The huge display of military might comes as tensions between China and the West continue to flare, as Beijing threatens war against its neighbour Taiwan - which borders the Philippine Sea in the north. Last month, Defence Secretary John Healey warned Britain was ready to fight should China launch an assault on Taiwan - whose standing military of 169,000 is vastly outgunned by China's two-million strong armed forces. Speaking on board the 65,000-tonne HMS Prince of Wales before she departed Australia for the war games, Mr Healey said: 'If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. 'We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.' Xi Jinping, China's president, has not ruled out the use of force in the 'reunification of the motherland' - with Beijing insisting it has sovereignty over Taiwan, something the government in Taipei firmly rejects. Many fear Xi Jinping could launch his much-vaunted onslaught in 2027 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Beijing has already carried out a series of live-fire naval exercises in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand - and has tested out vast barges which could be deployed as part of a major amphibious invasion of Taiwan. Mr Healey's comments, made to the Telegraph, were among some of the most robust from a British official on the subject of the UK joining a future war in the region. The Defence Secretary insisted he was talking merely in 'general terms', and that Britain would prefer to see any disputes in the Indo-Pacific resolved 'peacefully' and 'diplomatically'. As part of Britain's National Security Strategy published earlier this year, the Government recognised that 'there is a particular risk of escalation around Taiwan'. However, the display by the UK Carrier Strike Group and its international allies could risk inflaming the already-strained relations with Beijing, with China's navy having recently operated off the Taiwanese coast several hundred miles to the north. The drills involved 11 warships and 23 aircraft and was critical proving ground to see if such a vast fighting force could operate smoothly with one another, should war erupt. As part of this, the drill saw an historic first landing of a British F-35 on the deck of Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga. Commodore James Blackmore, head of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said: 'Bringing together the large deck forces from the UK, Japan, and US, as well as escort vessels from Spain, Norway, and Australia, in such close-range showcases the strength and inter-changeability of our combined task groups. 'Operating together during the many evolutions over the past few weeks demonstrates the enhanced interoperability and the commitment of our partners and allies to the Indo-Pacific region.' The war games focused on anti-submarine warfare drills and flying operations, which included landing other nations' aircraft on deck. It culminated in a multi-national squadron of fighter jets working in close formation during a dramatic fly-past of naval leviathan HMS Prince of Wales. Speaking of the war games, Lieutenant Commander Dan Latham, 809 Naval Air Squadron said: 'It was a real privilege and the highlight of my embarkation so far to land the first UK F35B on JS Kaga. 'Although the hard work to enable this evolution had taken months to prepare, on the day itself all force elements integrated seamlessly. 'It truly demonstrated the ease with which the UK and Japan can operate together in the Indo-Pacific region, now and in the future.' The aircraft carrier, which set sail from its home in Portsmouth, is on her maiden deployment to the Far East as part of Operation Highmast. She is due to visit Tokyo from late August to early September. Other ships from her support group - including Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond and Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tidespring wlll also visit Busan in South Korea. The entire carrier strike group is expected to return to the UK in December.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
A prophesied disaster (likely) won't strike Japan this weekend
Life as we know it will probably not come to an end in Japan this weekend. But what if it does? That's the question consuming a disaster-prone country ahead of a widely spread prediction of disaster that one comic book suggests will occur this Saturday. "Watashi ga Mita Mirai" ("The Future I Saw"), a manga by Ryo Tatsuki about her purported ability to see the future in dreams, was first published in 1999. It would have faded into obscurity but for the mention of a tsunami and the cover that read "Major disaster in March 2011.' Years later, when the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the country struck that very month, triggering a devastating tsunami and the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant meltdown, some hailed the author as a prophet. In 2021, she released an updated version that included a new prediction of disaster on July 5, 2025, involving a massive eruption in the Philippine Sea that triggers a tsunami striking Japan with waves three times the height of 2011. Such a disaster would obviously be devastating on a human level. But already, the comic has had an economic impact, with some tourists from Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia shunning trips out of fear. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, estimates that ¥560 billion ($3.9 billion) of economic damage could result if tourists continue to stay away due to this and other projections of doom. As July 5 approaches, it's becoming more talked about domestically; I've been asked about it in bars and overheard its mention in coffee shops. A series of hundreds of relatively small quakes off the southern island of Kyushu over the last two weeks has kept disaster in the headlines. The manga has sold over 1 million copies, while another book by Tatsuki is topping the charts. Get your facts straight, every day In a time of information overload and misinformation, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. Help us get the story right. For a limited time, we're offering a discounted subscription plan. Unlimited access US$30 US$18 /mo FOREVER subscribe NOW Of course, despite advances in tectonic science, earthquakes can't be predicted. The Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that "any such predictions should be considered unreliable.' But that message is muddled by the fact that the agency and the government believe that harbingers of the dreaded Nankai Trough megaquake can be detected. That resulted in a chilling official announcement last year about the elevated risk of a disaster that is estimated to kill as many as 300,000 people. That episode briefly had much of the country on edge. The next day, the country's earthquake early warning alert was triggered, an automated signal that gives notice of an imminent big quake, piped straight to smartphones and trains. Sitting with colleagues in a bustling bar on Friday evening, the chill that went through the room was palpable as dozens of phones blared shrill messages of EARTHQUAKE! EARTHQUAKE! and we wondered if this was, indeed, the end. Nothing happened. The alert was a false alarm. There's something to be said for keeping people on their toes: While mercifully the Nankai quake did not hit last year, the threat remains undiminished. The government's alert prompted many (myself included) to prepare or restock disaster supplies, with Japan's rice shortage partly blamed on the spike in demand it caused. But caution quickly turns to complacency. The idea that we can predict the future is an attractive one, promising certainty in an uncertain world. That helps overcome the litany of failed prophecies, from Nostradamus's warnings in 1999 to the Maya doomsday theories in 2012. Some that do turn out to be true — think the 1988 Japanese animated movie "Akira's" prediction that Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympics — are just examples of survivor bias. We forget those that don't come to pass, remembering only those that do, presumably including Tatsuki's 2011 reference. But when it comes to Japan, past predictions of doom — such as a "hidden planet' Nibiru crashing into Earth, or a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center causing havoc — aren't good comparisons. A catastrophe not dissimilar to the one Tatsuki describes really could take place at any time — July 5, or any day before or after. Indeed, according to government estimates for the Nankai Trough quake, it's more likely than not to happen in our lifetimes. Nonetheless, even in Japan many are still taken by surprise. Media focus on major disasters such as a quake hitting directly under Tokyo can lure those elsewhere into a false sense of security. Few, including the operators of the Fukushima nuclear plant, were sufficiently prepared for a quake off the coast in 2011 — despite extensive records showing past disasters. On July 5, when nothing happens, what then? My guess is most will just shrug and move on, perhaps a little embarrassed for having believed it or a little better prepared than they otherwise would have been. People might turn on Tatsuki, who has already distanced herself from the exact date. She may pop up again with another prediction — or fade back into obscurity. Regardless, the message that we should prepare for disaster is one we should listen to. In all probability, the earthquake won't happen on July 5. But it will happen sometime. That's a warning we should all heed. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
CNA
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Commentary: A prophesied disaster likely won't strike Japan this weekend
TOKYO: Life as we know it will probably not come to an end in Japan this weekend. But what if it does? That's the question consuming a disaster-prone country ahead of a widely spread prediction of disaster that one comic book suggests will occur this Saturday. Watashi ga Mita Mirai (The Future I Saw), a manga by Ryo Tatsuki about her purported ability to see the future in dreams, was first published in 1999. It would have faded into obscurity but for the mention of a tsunami, and the cover that read 'Major disaster in March 2011'. Years later, when the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the country struck that very month, triggering a devastating tsunami and the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear meltdown, some hailed the author as a prophet. In 2021, she released an updated version that included a new prediction of disaster on Jul 5, 2025, involving a massive eruption in the Philippine Sea that triggers a tsunami striking Japan with waves three times the height of 2011. Such a disaster would obviously be devastating on a human level. But already, the comic has had an economic impact, with some tourists from Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia shunning trips out of fear. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, estimates that ¥560 billion (US$3.9 billion) of economic damage could result if tourists continue to stay away due to this and other projections of doom. CAUTION QUICKLY TURNS TO COMPLACENCY As Jul 5 approaches, it's becoming more talked about domestically; I've been asked about it in bars and overheard its mention in coffee shops. A series of hundreds of relatively small quakes off the southern island of Kyushu over the last two weeks has kept disaster in the headlines. The manga has sold over 1 million copies, while another book by Tatsuki is topping the charts. Of course, despite advances in tectonic science, earthquakes can't be predicted. The Japan Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that 'any such predictions should be considered unreliable'. But that message is muddled by the fact that the agency and the government believe that harbingers of the dreaded Nankai Trough megaquake can be detected. That resulted in a chilling official announcement last year about the elevated risk of a disaster that is estimated to kill as many as 300,000 people. That episode briefly had much of the country on edge. The next day, the country's earthquake early warning alert was triggered, an automated signal that gives notice of an imminent big quake, piped straight to smartphones and trains. Sitting with colleagues in a bustling bar on Friday evening, the chill that went through the room was palpable, as dozens of phones blared shrill messages of EARTHQUAKE! EARTHQUAKE! and we wondered if this was, indeed, the end. Nothing happened. The alert was a false alarm. There's something to be said for keeping people on their toes: While mercifully the Nankai quake did not hit last year, the threat remains undiminished. The government's alert prompted many (myself included) to prepare or restock disaster supplies, with Japan's rice shortage partly blamed on the spike in demand it caused. But caution quickly turns to complacency. DISASTER WILL HAPPEN AT SOME POINT The idea that we can predict the future is an attractive one, promising certainty in an uncertain world. That helps overcome the litany of failed prophecies, from Nostradamus's warnings in 1999 to the Maya doomsday theories in 2012. Some that do turn out to be true - think the 1988 Japanese animated movie Akira's prediction that Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympics - are just examples of survivor bias. We forget those that don't come to pass, remembering only those that do, presumably including Tatsuki's 2011 reference. But when it comes to Japan, past predictions of doom - such as a 'hidden planet' Nibiru crashing into Earth, or a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center causing havoc - aren't good comparisons. A catastrophe not dissimilar to the one Tatsuki describes really could take place at any time - Jul 5, or any day before or after. Indeed, according to government estimates for the Nankai Trough quake, it's more likely than not to happen in our lifetimes. Nonetheless, even in Japan many are still taken by surprise. Media focus on major disasters such as a quake hitting directly under Tokyo can lure those elsewhere into a false sense of security. Few, including the operators of the Fukushima nuclear plant, were sufficiently prepared for a quake off the coast in 2011 - despite extensive records showing past disasters. On Jul 5, when nothing happens, what then? My guess is most will just shrug and move on, perhaps a little embarrassed for having believed it, or a little better prepared than they otherwise would have been. People might turn on Tatsuki, who has already distanced herself from the exact date. She may pop up again with another prediction - or fade back into obscurity. Regardless, the message that we should prepare for disaster is one we should listen to. In all probability, the earthquake won't happen on Jul 5. But it will happen sometime. That's a warning we should all heed.
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan accuses China of unauthorised research in its waters
Japan has accused China of conducting unnotified maritime scientific research within its exclusive economic zone around its southernmost island in the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo said on Tuesday. The alleged activity took place on Monday near the remote atoll of Okinotorishima in the Philippine Sea roughly halfway between Taiwan and Guam . Beijing has said the atoll does not constitute an island. Japan's coastguard on Monday spotted a Chinese maritime survey vessel 'extending what appeared to be a wire into the waters in Japan's exclusive economic zone' 270km (167 miles) east of Okinotori island, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. 'As the maritime scientific research by the vessel has not obtained Japan's agreement, the coastguard demanded that the activity stops and we lodged a protest with the Chinese side through a diplomatic channel,' Hayashi said. The Chinese vessel left Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at around 10.45pm on Monday, Hayashi said. Under international law, a coastal state has rights to the management of natural resources and other economic activities within its EEZ, which is within 200 nautical miles (370km) of its coastlines.
