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Typhoon Jelawat slams into Japan, causes one fatality

(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – Massachusetts endured a weekend of clouds and occasional rain, but it is hard to complain after learning that Typhoon Jelawat smashed into Okinawa, Japan with 137 mph winds.

Jelawat was the third typhoon to hit Japan in the past month, and it may have been the worst yet.

Half of the island was without power, and fifty people were injured, one fatally.

The tropical cycle then hit mainland Japan causing tens of thousands to lose power, and another 145 people were injured.

Sustained winds of 87 mph equate the storm to a Category One hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

It is a valid measure, too, because a typhoon is simply a regional name for hurricane. They are the same kind of storm, a large tropical cyclone.

There are also super typhoons, which are equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.