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Louise Thomas
Editor
Hundreds of flights and trains have been cancelled in Japan during the peak summer holiday as Typhoon Ampil bore down on Tokyo.
The seventh typhoon of 2024 for Japan, categorised as "strong" by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), was about 690km off Japan's Pacific coast at 9am (local time) on Thursday.
The typhoon is expected to cross the Tokyo region, home to almost 40 million people, on Friday and then move toward the Pacific coast, colliding with the nation's Obon holiday week, when millions return to their hometowns.
Ampil is currently blowing winds of 125 kmph, with maximum gusts of 180 kmph, according to the JMA. The department has forecast up to 200mm of rainfall in the Kanto-Koshin region by 17 August.
Japan Airlines said it would cancel 191 domestic and 26 international flights, some of which were scheduled to arrive or depart from Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Friday. The airline estimated that the cancellations will impact about 38,600 customers.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced the cancellation of 280 domestic flights on Friday, which it said would affect about 60,400 passengers scheduled to fly to regions such as Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Central Japan Railway said it would cancel all Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Japan's industrial heartland of Nagoya on Friday.
Rail services on the Tohoku, Yamagata and Joetsu Shinkansen lines would be operated on a reduced service from 11am on Friday.
The country’s weather agency warned residents of Japan's eastern regions to be highly vigilant against storms, high waves, heavy rains and possible landslides. "We urge the public to stay informed about evacuation advisories and take early steps to seek safety," disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said at a regular briefing.
In a rare advisory, Japan’s Coast Guard asked large vessels to evacuate Tokyo Bay and to avoid venturing out into the sea.
The maximum sustained winds of 144 kph and gusts of up to 216 kph are expected in the Izu Islands throughout Thursday. The typhoon is expected to weaken into a tropical storm while it moves into the Pacific region of Japan.
Japan is bracing for Ampil’s arrival less than a week after Storm Maria lashed the country with intense rainfall, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Footage from NHK public television shows muddy waters flooding rivers in towns like Iwaizumi, where a 2016 typhoon claimed nine lives.
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