Tropical Storm Maria is forecast to make landfall in the Tohoku region on Monday, with the slow-moving system crossing over to the Sea of Japan while bringing heavy rains and strong winds.
Rated by the Meteorological Agency as a severe tropical storm — one level below a typhoon — Maria is expected to maintain its strength as it moves over land. Landfall is likely near the border between Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.
Only two previous tropical storms on record have made landfall on Tohoku's Pacific coast: one in August 2016 and the other in July 2021. The former caused severe damage, including nine deaths at a flooded facility for the elderly.