A fast-moving, strong typhoon ‘Noul’ passed through Okinawa in the early morning hours of May 12th.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the typhoon registered maximum wind speeds of 58.6 m/s at Shimoji Island Airport in Miyako, at 1:18 a.m. on the 12th.  As the storm moved very fast, the typhoon warning was cleared around 8 in the morning on the same day on the main island of Okinawa.  Any serious damage for local people or property on the island has not been reported.

There was some confusion among local schools about the response to a change in the starting time of the schools.  The exact clearance time of the typhoon warning on the mainland of Okinawa was 7:59 a.m. on the 12th. Local public schools usually make a decision of whether to call off classes, and whether or not to serve the school lunch, based on the weather at 8 a.m. when a typhoon comes.  Many public schools were bombarded with questions from parents deferring to ‘the one minute’.  School officials were busy responding to phone calls from parents who were concerned weather children have school or not, and what time the classes would start.

• 
• NO DATA