Major typhoon slams into Japan’s disaster-hit areas

TOKYO: A powerful typhoon slammed into central Japan, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders, with western areas recently devastated by floods and landslides in the storm’s crosshairs.

Typhoon Jongdari, packing winds of up to 180 km an hour, made landfall in Ise in Mie prefecture at around 1:00 am local time on Sunday, according to the nation’s public broadcaster NHK.

The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over eastern Japan, was moving west maintaining its strength, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said.

TV footage showed high waves smashing onto rocks and seawalls on the coastline in Shimoda, southwest of Tokyo, and trees buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain.

One man was reportedly missinginkanagawaprefecture,near Tokyo, after several vehicles, including an ambulance, became stuck on a wave-battered ocean road. The storm is expected to barrel towards the western Chugoku region later on Sunday, where record rainfall earlier this month unleashed flooding and landslides, killing around 220 people and leaving more than 4,000 survivors still living in temporary shelters.

The weather agency warned of heavy rain, landslides, strong winds and high waves, and urged people to consider early evacuation. “We want people especially in the downpour-hit regions to pay close attention to evacuation advisories,” meteorological agency official Minako Sakurai told reporters.