Typhoon Ampil Approaches Japan; Hurricane Ernesto Bears Down on Bermuda

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and railways suspended part of their operations as Typhoon Ampil barreled toward Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday.

As of Thursday morning, the typhoon was about 430 miles off Japan's Pacific coast, packing wind gusts of up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour, according to news accounts.

The storm's center was expected to remain offshore on Friday as it turns toward the northeast and moves away from Japan. If it stays offshore, it might only have a light impact on Japan. However, it could have a much stronger effect if the direction changes to bring the center closer to the coast.

Click on the image at right for a GeoXplorer map showing Ampil's projected path.

Ampil comes just days after Tropical Storm Maria made landfall in Japan's Iwate Prefecture, dumping record rainfall in the region. Idemitsu Kosan's (Tokyo) Hokkkaido refinery saw no impact by Maria as the refinery had been under a planned turnaround since June 22.

Hurricane Ernesto
Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Basin, Hurricane Ernesto was expected to hit Bermuda by Friday night or early Saturday.

The storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour on Thursday, was expected to strengthen before reaching Bermuda.

Ernesto was expected to veer toward the northeast after hitting Bermuda, missing the United States by a wide margin.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).