Central Japan Hit By Typhoon Man-yi

Above, this little rainstorm in Asakusa doesn't compare to
 the typhoon that's hitting it now.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We have hurricanes and Japan has typhoons.

A big typhoon hit central Japan today causing widespread flooding and damage.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —A powerful typhoon lashed Japan with torrential rain Monday, leaving two dead as it damaged homes and flooded parts of the country’s popular tourist destination of Kyoto, where 260,000 people were ordered to evacuate to shelters. 

Typhoon Man-yi, packing wind speeds of 162 kilometers per hour Monday night, was centered off the northern coast and heading to Hokkaido, dumping more heavy rain. 

Trains in Tokyo and its vicinity were largely suspended and more than 500 flights were grounded. 

What's a typhoon, you may ask?  According to Weather.com:

From a meteorology perspective, there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between a typhoon and a hurricane (and for that matter there is no difference among a hurricane, typhoon, tropical cyclone or severe cyclonic storm).

Right now, Japan is in its typhoon season, which runs from May through October. August and September is the peak period. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers this on page 13, so travelers can plan their vacations around typhoon season.

To read the full Japan Today article on Typhoon Man-yi, go here.