Thousands urged to evacuate as Typhoon Nangka hits Japan
AFP
July 17, 2015, 2:57 am
Tokyo (AFP) - Powerful Typhoon Nangka barrelled into the Japanese island of Shikoku late Thursday, killing at least one person as authorities urged more than 350,000 people to evacuate.
Nangka, packing gusts up to 185 kilometres (115 miles) per hour, made landfall near Cape Muroto on Shikoku, one of the country's main islands, around 11:00 pm (1400 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The storm was moving north at 20 kilometres an hour, on course to pass over Shikoku before lashing the main island of Honshu.
Torrential rain swept the Shikoku region from Thursday afternoon, and the region was expected to be hammered by violent, thunderous winds.
The weather agency has issued warnings for flooding, gale-force winds, landslides and high waves in southern Japan.
Local authorities urged at least 367,800 people in the storm's path to evacuate, according to Kyodo News Agency, while public broadcaster NHK said Nangka had already killed at least one person and injured 17.
Kyodo, citing police, said the man who died was a 71-year-old in Hyogo Prefecture who was trying to reinforce window glass.
Nangka, a Malaysian name for the Jack fruit, forced carriers Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways to cancel more than 177 domestic flights. Both, along with other airlines, have also cancelled dozens of flights on Friday, according to Kyodo.
The region's train operators and ferry services also cancelled routes ahead of the typhoon, while parts of the roads were closed due to high tides and heavy rain, Kyodo reported.
