Japan braced for Typhoon Faxai on Sunday cancelling trains and flights in Tokyo with destructive winds of up to 216 kph (134 mph) and heavy rain expected to hit the region overnight, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Faxai, a woman’s name in Lao, could dump as much as 300 millimetres of rain in the next 24 hours, said the agency.
“Winds and rains could pick up suddenly, causing severe storms at sea, and there is a risk of record-breaking winds in the capital and other regions,” it said on its website.
National broadcaster NHK warned that high-speed winds could fell power lines and damage homes, while heavy rains could trigger flooding and landslides.
In preparation, the Central Japan Railway company said it would cancel or suspend around 50 bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka from 0900 GMT and warned of the possibility of additional delays and destination changes due to the storm.
East Japan Railway services in the greater Tokyo area would be stopped from the start of Monday service to 2300 GMT — during the city’s peak morning rush — due to expected heavy rains, NHK said.
Other railway companies warned services may be affected by storm-related delays or stoppages in the coming hours, while Central Nippon Expressway said it had closed some roads near the southern coast of Kanagawa Prefecture as a precaution of the approaching storm.
Both Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings said they had cancelled a number of flights to and from Tokyo’s two airports on Sunday, adding that more flights would be cancelled on Monday.
REUTERS