Japan advises thousands to evacuate

TOKYO - Hundreds of thousands of households in Japan were advised to evacuate because of fears of flooding as a powerful typhoon was set to make landfall late yesterday, bringing with it the heaviest rain and winds in 60 years.

A number of municipal governments issued evacuation advisories to areas particularly at risk, including some in the most populous greater Tokyo region, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Typhoon Hagibis, which means “speed” in the Philippine language Tagalog, was due to make landfall on Japan’s main island of Honshu late yesterday, a month after one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in recent years destroyed or damaged 30,000 houses and caused extensive power outages. NHK reported that four people were injured in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, which was hit hard by typhoon Faxai a month ago, early on Saturday as strong winds blew roofs off several houses.Stores, factories and subway systems have been shut down as a precaution, while Japanese Formula One Grand Prix organisers cancelled all practice and qualifying sessions scheduled for Saturday.

Picture: REUTERS Destroyed houses, cars and power poles which according to local media were believed to be caused by a tornado, are seen as Typhoon Hagibis approaches the Tokyo area in Ichihara, east of Tokyo, Japan.