Typhoon associated with strong winds during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake

Abstract

This study reproduced the meteorological conditions, including typhoon movements near Japan and wind changes over Tokyo, during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, using a numerical simulation model (Weather Research and Forecasting v4.3) and the first European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) atmospheric reanalysis of the 20th century (ERA-20C). The reproduced meteorological conditions coincided in many respects with weather analysis maps and observations produced by the Central Meteorological Observatory. Strong southerly winds around noon on the day of the earthquake were associated with a typhoon on the coast of the Sea of Japan and appear to have had a significant impact on the spread of fires immediately after the earthquake. However, the strong evening and nighttime winds observed at the Tokyo station are likely to have been local phenomena associated with the fire spread, which caused severe damage in Tokyo after the earthquake.