Typhoon Tapah yesterday approached southwestern Japan and the main island of Honshu, with heavy rain and strong winds grounding hundreds of regional flights.
Tapah, with gusts up to 162kph, was expected to draw near Nagasaki Prefecture overnight and was on course to travel through the channel between Japan and the Korean Peninsula before moving toward northern Japan today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The storm prompted cancelations of more than 400 domestic flights, national broadcaster NHK said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“Serious caution is warranted for violent winds, high waves and landslides,” the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a statement.
So far the typhoon has caused 21 minor injuries, mostly in Okinawa, which it hit on Saturday.
Evacuation advisories have been issued to more than 2,000 regional residents, the disaster management agency said, as it warned of heavy rain, flooding and possible landslides through today in western Japan.
Nobeoka City in Miyazaki Prefecture postponed yesterday’s entrance exam for city employees due to the typhoon.
In South Korea, Yonhap news agency said 359 domestic flights had been canceled as of noon, citing the Korea Airports Corp.
Additional reporting by AP and Bloomberg
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