Spread of radiation in Japan
After Friday’s earthquake and tsunami, a series of explosions occurred at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. ZAMG, The Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna, has been calculating the dispersion of radio active elements on a daily basis.
As a result of new problems at the Fukushima plant, the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere has increased since Tuesday. The most recent forecasts suggest that Wednesday’s westerly wind, which has been blowing the radiation out to sea, will continue to blow in the next few days.
On Tuesday, a northerly wind carried radiation to southern Japan, although analyses show it never reached the capital Tokyo. ZAMG’s meteorological forecasts show that no radiation will reach Europe.
ZAMG provides the Incident and Emergency Centre of the International Atomic Energy Agency with detailed simulations on the spread of the contaminated area in Japan. ZAMG provides these simulations by order of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The Dutch foreign ministry has warned its citizens to leave the Japanese disaster area near Tokyo. Many other countries – but not all – have issued travel warnings, though there is a wide variety in the advice. And not everybody is choosing to listen.
While one Indonesian family - victims of the 2004 tsunami - are heading back to their homeland after the quake in Japan, 12 Indonesian students in the city of Sendai have been evacuated to Tokyo and are staying put. They are just a few of the many foreigners in Japan who have decided to stay.
A quick inventory of travel advisories:
Indonesia
The Indonesian authorities have provided detailed instructions to their citizens in northeast Japan. "Do not switch on ventilators or air conditioning units. Keep all doors and windows closed and do not drink tap water. If you go outside, wear a surgical mask." Jakarta is advising its citizens living within a 50-kilometre radius of the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant to leave the area.
Australia
Canberra has also advised its citizens to leave the Fukushima area, even though its advisory includes just a 30 kilometre radius. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency speaks of a "very low to negligible risk of contamination in the high-risk areas."
Latin America
Numerically, Latin Americans are the second-largest minority in Japan. Their embassies and consulates are trying to assist their citizens in various ways. Colombia is urging its citizens to leave the north east and travel to the south of the country. Peru has opened a website where people can post messages for compatriots they have been unable to reach.
Japan is home to 254,000 Brazilians, and the Brazilian government has set up a hotline providing information about these people to friends and family back home. The Brazilian embassy in Tokyo has sent coaches to the disaster to move its citizens to a safer location. People in Brazil can send money to their family and friends in Japan free of charge.
UK
UK citizens have been advised to reconsider travel plans to Japan, declaring that all non-essential trips to Tokyo and northeast Japan be postponed. Each year, an estimated 180,000 British tourists visit Japan during the summer season, beginning as early as March.
Sweden
Sweden has advised its citizens in Japan to leave the area if possible after radiation levels in Tokyo went up last night. The Swedish embassy says it posts translations of the latest advice and recommendations from the Japanese government on its website. (story continues below)
A Swedish photographer in Tokyo says the calm in the city is "deceptive."
”The problem is that when things get worse it will be too late. Everybody will want to leave at the same time.”
Thailand
The Thai health authorities will start distributing iodine pills to its citizens flying to Japan. The pills will only be handed out to people who will be visiting the disaster area. The pills are intended to protect people against radiation. Travellers arriving in Thailand from Japan will be screened for radiation.
China
Chinese diplomats in Japan sent staff to the disaster area immediately after the earthquake and tsunami to help and collect information on Chinese citizens in the area. Beijing is advising its citizens to follow the advice of the Japanese government in order to avoid radioactive contamination.
(gsh/ae)
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