First of all, we pray for the repose of the souls of those who died in recent disasters, including Typhoon Faxai and Typhoon Hagibis, and extend our deepest sympathies to the many people affected.
Are these disasters due to the effects of climate change? Or have we again entered a natural cycle of strong typhoons like the 1950s and 1960s? Will this situation continue?
Remarkable progress has been made in forecasting typhoons. In fact, many local governments should have received timely and accurate warning information, including special warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and taken the utmost precautions before the typhoons hit. It was also identified that associated flood hazard maps were quite accurate, matching those inundated areas. Then, what was the problem? How should we deal with such problems in the future? We plan to discuss these important topics together with the public because similar problems could happen in other countries.