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Japan: Typhoon No. 30 (Champi) expected to become very powerful early next week

Checked on

Published on

AT A GLANCE

Weather News forecasts from the morning of the 16th, checked on the 17th. The rest of the track remains very uncertain.

Typhoon photographed from the International Space Station (photo of an earlier typhoon)
NASA · Public domain
In this article

Where is it now?

According to Weather News, at 3 am (Japan time) on 16 October, the typhoon was near the Marshall Islands and moving west at 20 km/h. Central pressure 998 hPa, maximum wind 20 m/s, gusts up to 30 m/s.

Forecasts

It should strengthen over warm waters and reach “very strong” intensity early next week. It should first head west-north-west, pass near the Truk Islands and the Mariana Islands, then reach the east of the Philippines.

An uncertain track

Beyond the short term, the differences between models are large. A continuous westward track would have little effect on Japan; a turn to the north-east could affect some regions. AI-based models lean more westward than conventional physical models. The uncertainty should decrease over time.

A point of reference

Reaching No. 30 this early has not happened since 2013; having a typhoon every month from January to October has only occurred in 1965, 2015 and 2026. Regularly check the official information of the Japan Meteorological Agency.

LANGUAGE NOTES

Learn the grammar

Explained in English

French grammar

Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.

01The present indicative
Structure

est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)

In the article
Il devrait d’abord se diriger vers l’ouest-nord-ouest, passer près des îles Truk et des îles Mariannes, puis rejoindre l’est des Philippines.
Key points

Être in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.

02The passé composé of pronominal verbs
Structure

se + present of être + past participle

In the article
Atteindre le n° 30 aussi tôt n’était pas arrivé depuis 2013 ; avoir un typhon chaque mois de janvier à octobre ne s’est produit qu’en 1965, 2015 et 2026.
Key points

The passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.

03The imparfait
Structure

stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient

In the article
Selon Weather News, à 3 h (heure japonaise) le 16 octobre, le typhon se trouvait près des îles Marshall et se déplaçait vers l’ouest à 20 km/h.
Key points

The imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.

04The present conditional
Structure

stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient

In the article
Japon : le typhon n° 30 (Champi) devrait devenir très puissant en début de semaine prochaine
Key points

The conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.

05The passive voice in the present
Structure

être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)

In the article
Les modèles fondés sur l’IA sont plus orientés vers l’ouest que les modèles physiques classiques.
Key points

The passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).

06The imperative
Structure

present vous form (-ez) / nous (-ons) / tu

In the article
Consultez régulièrement les informations officielles de l’Agence météorologique japonaise.
Key points

The imperative expresses commands, requests and advice. It has no subject: the sentence starts with the verb (Consultez les informations.). The vous form ends in -ez, nous in -ons (Restons prudents.), and tu in -e for -er verbs (Consulte). It is very common in notices and warnings (Vérifiez, Consultez, Restez informé).

07Pronominal verbs
Structure

se / s’ + verb

In the article
Selon Weather News, à 3 h (heure japonaise) le 16 octobre, le typhon se trouvait près des îles Marshall et se déplaçait vers l’ouest à 20 km/h.
Key points

A pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).

08Citing a source with selon
Structure

selon + noun / organisation

In the article
Selon Weather News, à 3 h (heure japonaise) le 16 octobre, le typhon se trouvait près des îles Marshall et se déplaçait vers l’ouest à 20 km/h.
Key points

Selon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.

09Pouvoir: ability and possibility
Structure

peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive

In the article
Un trajet continu vers l’ouest aurait peu d’effet sur le Japon ; un virage vers le nord-est pourrait toucher certaines régions.
Key points

Put a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.

10Dates and their prepositions
Structure

le + 日付 / du … au …

In the article
Selon Weather News, à 3 h (heure japonaise) le 16 octobre, le typhon se trouvait près des îles Marshall et se déplaçait vers l’ouest à 20 km/h.
Key points

Le 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.

11Marking a starting point
Structure

dès / depuis / à partir de + point in time

In the article
Atteindre le n° 30 aussi tôt n’était pas arrivé depuis 2013 ; avoir un typhon chaque mois de janvier à octobre ne s’est produit qu’en 1965, 2015 et 2026.
Key points

Dès means “as early as” or “as soon as”, and à partir de means “from … onwards”. Depuis basically shows a state or period continuing from a point in time. All deal with a start, but they are not used the same way.

12Devoir: obligation or probability
Structure

doit / doivent / devrait + infinitive

In the article
Il devrait se renforcer au-dessus d’eaux chaudes et atteindre l’intensité « très forte » en début de semaine prochaine.
Key points

Devoir + infinitive means “must”, but depending on context it can also mean “is expected to”. Devrait is conditional. In the news, judge from the context whether it is an obligation or a forecast.

Explained in English

Japanese grammar

Understand the structure and usage from the text.

01Citing a source: によると
Structure

noun + によると

In the article
ウェザーニュースによると、台風30号は16日3時の時点でマーシャル諸島付近にあり、西へ時速20kmで進んでいます。
Key points

As in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.

02Plan, outlook and policy
Structure

〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針

In the article
暖かい海の上を進むため発達しやすく、来週前半には「非常に強い」勢力になる見込みです。
Key points

予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.

03Expressing a possibility
Structure

〜可能性がある / 〜かもしれない

In the article
西へ進み続ければ日本への影響は小さく、北東へ向きを変えれば日本の一部に影響する可能性があります。
Key points

These forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.

04Cause or purpose with ため
Structure

〜ため / 〜ために

In the article
暖かい海の上を進むため発達しやすく、来週前半には「非常に強い」勢力になる見込みです。
Key points

ため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.

05Quoting with と: content and report
Structure

plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)

In the article
時間がたつと、不確実さは小さくなるとされています。
Key points

と takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.

06Linking actions with the て-form
Structure

verb て-form + next expression

In the article
日本への影響が心配な場合は、気象庁の台風情報を定期的に確認してください。
Key points

The て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.

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