‘Hagibis’ barreling toward Japan; evacuations, power cuts ordered
A powerful typhoon heading toward Tokyo has knocked out power to thousands of homes and brought heavy rains and violent winds to the Pacific coast, prompting some local authorities to call for evacuations.
The Edogawa ward in Tokyo issued an evacuation advisory Saturday, calling on 214,000 households to take refuge at schools due
to the threat of flooding from Typhoon Hagibis, broadcaster NHK reported. In Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, winds blew roofs off some homes, injuring residents, while a man found unconscious in an overturned vehicle died after being taken to hospital, according to the broadcaster.
Some 16,720 buildings across Japan, mostly in the Pacific coastal area, have lost electricity due to the storm, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement. Hagibis is expected to make landfall Saturday evening.
The typhoon, due to make landfall on Japan’s main island of Honshu on Saturday as the most powerful storm to hit the capital in six decades, has caused more than 1,000 flight cancellations, disrupted train services, and forced the closure of factories and shops.
Shelves were cleared out at some stores as people scrambled for bottled water and instant noodles.
Hagibis has also forced organizers of the Rugby World Cup to cancel two games scheduled for Saturday.
The typhoon was packing winds of 162 kilometers (101 miles) per hour as of 3:45 p.m. local time, according to an advisory from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Hagibis has ebbed since Friday, when winds were as strong as 252 kilometers per hour. It was downgraded to a Category 4 system on the five-step SaffirSimpson scale used in the US.
The meteorological agency issued the highest level of warning for rain and urged residents in Tokyo and six other prefectures – Shizuoka, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Yamanashi and Nagano – to take the “best actions to preserve life.”
Hakone in Kanagawa prefecture, a town known for hot springs, has seen a record 635 millimeters (25 inches) of rain over the past 24 hours, nearly twice the monthly average for October, according to the NHK. The Tama River that runs through Tokyo and surrounding prefectures has reached a level at which governments generally urge evacuations, the broadcaster said.
Honda Motor Co. shut down four factories and about 1,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in Tokyo and surrounding areas have been closed, the Nikkei newspaper reported Saturday.
Toyota Motor Corp., Nippon Steel Corp. and Sapporo Holdings Ltd. have also suspended operations at some plants, while Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land Co. said its two theme parks will be closed Saturday through midday on Sunday.
Rugby World Cup games pitting England against France and New Zealand against Italy have been called off. A final decision on Sunday’s games, including a crucial match between hosts Japan and Scotland, will be made that morning.
In the Philippines, a four-decade-old disco band – the namesake supertyphoon bearing down on Japan – has brought a sudden rush of interest in its macho act.
Known as the Philippines’ “Village People,” all-male band Hagibis has been going since 1979. While some members have changed over time, it has retained its act featuring tight black trousers, leather jackets, open shirts, shades, moustaches, and suggestive dance moves.
“Hagibis is getting indirect publicity worldwide,” said 61-year-old Jose Parsons Nabiula, who goes by his stage name Sonny Parsons and has been with the band since the start.
“It reminded everybody of my group’s existence... Some people are making fun of it, some people are very serious.”
Hagibis means speed and strength in the Philippine language Tagalog.
Tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific Ocean are given their identity in sequence based on names provided by 14 regional countries.
People had been joking about the vigor of Hagibis and comparing that to the band, Parsons said.