“Very strong” typhoon expected in Tokyo region – Observer

A typhoon, described by Japanese meteorologists as “very strong”, is expected to hit the Tokyo region on Friday, causing the cancellation of hundreds of air and rail connections and power cuts.

O typhoon ampil reached the eastern island of Hachijojima this morning, about 300 kilometers south of Tokyo, with wind gusts of up to 216 kilometers per hour, and was heading north, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The agency forecast the core of the typhoon would remain over the sea, with the storm heading towards the coast near Greater Tokyo, home to nearly 40 million people, before turning east and heading back into the Pacific.

Authorities have warned of the possibility of strong winds, very heavy rains and possible landslidesurging residents to exercise extreme caution.

As of Friday morning, 1,700 homes in areas surrounding Tokyo were without electricity due to the typhoon, according to the power company.

ANA has cancelled 280 domestic flights scheduled for today, affecting more than 60,000 passengers, while Japan Airlines has cancelled 281 domestic and 38 international flights, affecting a total of 49,700 customers.

Traffic on the main sections of the Shinkansen network, Japan’s high-speed trains, is also expected to be interrupted during the day, especially on the busy stretch between Tokyo and Nagoya (center).

Japan is celebrating the religious holiday “obon”, dedicated to family and ancestors, just days after Tropical Storm Maria dumped record rainfall on northern regions.

On Thursday, the mega-earthquake alert was lifted after being in effect for a week.