Japan: a “very strong” typhoon hits the Tokyo region

 

A “very strong” typhoon hit Tokyo and the archipelago's eastern Pacific coast on Friday, causing the cancellation of over 650 flights and many trains, as well as power cuts. On Friday, “Ampil” was around 170 km south of Tokyo, with wind gusts of up to 216 km/h, and was sliding along the coast towards the north/northeast of the archipelago, according to the Japanese meteorological agency.

 

The authorities warned of heavy rain and strong gusts of wind. The meteorological agency warned that the coastal prefecture of Chiba, east of Tokyo, “should be in a state of maximum alert due to the risk of heavy waves, landslides and flooding”. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has invited more than 18,000 people to evacuate in this prefecture.

 

So far, no casualties or major damage had been reported. More than 2,000 homes in Tokyo's neighboring counties, including Chiba, were without power due to the typhoon, according to the utility operator. Japanese airline ANA cancelled over 300 flights scheduled for Friday, affecting more than 72,000 passengers, while Japan Airlines cancelled 361 flights affecting around 57,000 customers. Traffic on major sections of the Shinkansen network, Japan's high-speed trains, is also expected to be halted.

 

The typhoon comes as Japan celebrates the “obon” vacation week, during which millions of people return to their families, and a few days after tropical storm Maria dumped record rainfall in some northern regions.