Thwarted by a Typhoon

Alas, the 10th typhoon of the season is bearing down on Japan, heading towards the island at a walking pace of 6km/h. Normally I would not be too concerned but it is on the verge of destroying my weekend plans. My friend, who lives on the island of Shikoku, is to come to Oita this weekend. However, with the approaching typhoon and the resulting high waves, the ferry service between Kyushu and Shikoku is likely to be cancelled, thwarting our weekend.

Typhoon forecasting seems to be an inexact science; in fact, weather forecasting in Japan, could be best described as an exercise in inaccurate guesses. My favourite is the 1 week forecast that provides a full seven days of prognostication. However, the accuracy of them makes Nostrodamus look like a sharp-shooter. Inevitably, the forecast changes even for the next day. Perhaps I am being too judgemental. I am not a meteorologist and I probably don't appreciate the difficulty of forecasting weather in the nothwestern Pacific. Also, if the general public understands the forecast's limitations and views it with some skepticism, then there is no harm. However, those of us that assume them to be accurate are in for a rude shock when we pack the sunglasses and sunblock and realize that an umbrella and a change of socks would have been far more appropriate.

So here is hoping that the typhoon takes a turn away from Japan and allows my weekend plans to go ahead. However, this will probably be the time that those people staring at the weather maps get it right...