When a typhoon or similar storm approaches, air pressure drops and the sea surface is sucked up. Strong winds also push seawater towards the shore. These factors combine to create a storm surge, a rise in the sea level that often results in coastal flooding. As an island nation, Japan is particularly vulnerable to storm surges. What will happen to the power of storm surges as climate change progresses? According to the latest research, the damage caused by storm surges is expected to become more severe, while the frequency of "once-in-50-year" storm surges may increase. We'll introduce some of latest measures to cope with this prospect.
Reporter: Lemi Duncan
Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay, which was inundated by a storm surge due to a typhoon (2018).
A storm surge simulation under climate change conditions. The frequency of massive storm surges is expected to increase with the rise in global sea levels.
HORIKAWA Seiji, Director of the Storm Surge Management Center, explains about the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's plan to raise the height of Tokyo's seawall to prepare for climate change.