Strongest typhoon in quarter century hits Japan
The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years made landfall Tuesday,
the country's weather agency said, bringing violent winds and heavy
rainfall that prompted evacuation warnings.
Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (135 miles) per
hour, made landfall around midday in western Japan near areas still
recovering from deadly record rains earlier this summer.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged people to "evacuate early" and ordered
his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents.
Japan's weather agency has issued warnings about possible landslides,
flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and
tornadoes in a swath of western Japan including the major cities of
Osaka and Kyoto.
With winds of up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour at its centre,
Jebi is classed as a "very strong" typhoon, the weather agency's chief
forecaster Ryuta Kurora told AFP.
"This is (the strongest) since 1993."
In the hours before the storm made landfall, Shikoku, one of four
Japanese main islands, was already experiencing "violent storms and the
storms will get stronger and stronger," he added.
As the storm approached, Abe called a disaster response meeting and cancelled a trip to western Japan.
"I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early," he said.
He instructed his cabinet to "take all measures possible".
Local media warned that the wind speeds Jebi is packing are strong
enough to bring down traditional-style wooden houses and power poles,
and urged people in affected areas to avoid non-essential travel.
Evacuation advisories have been issued for more than 300,000 people in
western Japan -- including 280,000 in the port city of Kobe -- with
local officials setting up some 1,500 shelters, the central and local
governments said in statements.
Primary and middle schools in affected areas are closed for safety
reasons, while regional businesses also reacted quickly, with a major
railway firm and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka shutting down for
Tuesday.
Nearly 600 flights were cancelled, including several international
flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries
connecting ports in western Japan.
Jebi has a similar trajectory to Typhoon Cimaron, which made landfall on
August 23, disrupting transport links but causing limited damage and
few injuries.
Japan is currently in its annual typhoon season, and is regularly struck by major storm systems during the summer and autumn.
The country has been sweating through a record, deadly heatwave that was
preceded by record rainfall in parts of western and central Japan that
killed over 200 people.
https://www.geezgo.com/sps/37842
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