Japan: “violent” Typhoon No. 30 approaches the Sakishima Islands on 23 and 24 October

Vagues avec houle et glissements de terrain sont à craindre.

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.

Les chiffres viennent des entreprises ou des organismes cités ; JAPANITIES ne les a pas vérifiés.

The passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.

Sa pression centrale est descendue à 900 hPa, contre 945 hPa dans notre article du 18 : il s’est encore renforcé en quatre jours.

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.

À midi le 22, le typhon se trouvait au sud d’Okinawa et se déplaçait vers l’ouest-nord-ouest à 15 km/h ; il devrait infléchir sa route vers le nord.

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”.

Le typhon n° 30, de grande taille et « violent », devrait approcher les îles Sakishima, dans la préfecture d’Okinawa, les 23 et 24 octobre.

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…”.

Avant l’arrivée du typhon, il est conseillé de préparer vivres, eau, batteries chargées et lampes et de fixer fenêtres et objets extérieurs.

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).

La trajectoire et l’intensité peuvent encore changer ; consultez les dernières informations de l’Agence météorologique.

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).

À midi le 22, le typhon se trouvait au sud d’Okinawa et se déplaçait vers l’ouest-nord-ouest à 15 km/h ; il devrait infléchir sa route vers le nord.

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).

Ces conseils généraux ne remplacent pas les consignes des autorités locales.

Normally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.

La NHK prévient d’un vent d’une violence telle que certaines habitations pourraient être endommagées, avec de fortes pluies.

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.

Cet article s’appuie sur la NHK et d’autres médias du 22 octobre.

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.

Le « hectopascal » mesure la pression : plus le chiffre est bas, plus le typhon est puissant. « Violent » est la catégorie d’intensité des typhons, à partir de 54 m/s de vent maximal.

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.

Le typhon n° 30, de grande taille et « violent », devrait approcher les îles Sakishima, dans la préfecture d’Okinawa, les 23 et 24 octobre.

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.

大型で猛烈な台風30号は、23日から24日にかけて、沖縄県の先島諸島に近づく見込みです。

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”.

西日本にも、影響が出る可能性があると報じられています。

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.

宮古島、石垣島、与那国島などへ行く予定がある人は、航空会社や船会社の、最新の運航情報を、出発前に確認してください。

“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.

NHKは、一部の住宅が壊れるおそれがあるほどの、猛烈な風が吹くと伝えています。

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.

18日の記事では、945ヘクトパスカルでしたので、4日間で、さらに発達したことになります。

“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.

気象庁は、暴風、高波、土砂災害に、厳重に警戒するよう呼びかけ、22日のうちに、対策を終えるよう求めています。

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.