Typhoon Lan, a powerful storm that drenched most of Japan with rain Sunday, is expected to make landfall and approach Tokyo during commuting hours on Monday morning.
The typhoon was located about 360 kilometers (224 miles) south of Osaka as of 8 p.m. local time, carrying sustained winds of up to 162 kilometers an hour (100 miles) as it moved along Japan’s Pacific coast. That makes it a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Lan is projected to weaken as it approaches the Tokyo region overnight, and may pass near the city around 6 a.m., according to projections by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Toyota Motor Corp. canceled shifts at its auto plants due to the approaching storm while the nation’s biggest carriers ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co. have pulled hundreds of domestic flights, affecting more than 20,000 passengers.
Authorities warned of landslides, flooding and the potential for rivers to burst their banks due to heavy rain. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on local authorities to prepare for evacuations, and for the nation’s Self Defense Forces to be on standby to assist.
Source: Quartz, Bloomberg and ANN News Channel
