Hundreds of Japanese flights and trains faced cancellations on Thursday amidst a major holiday week as a new typhoon headed towards the archipelago.
Following the record rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Maria, Typhoon Ampil was expected to pass near the Tokyo region on Thursday night, affecting almost 40 million residents, before moving up the Pacific coast on Friday and Saturday.
ANA had to cancel approximately 280 domestic flights scheduled for Friday, impacting over 60,000 passengers. Japan Airlines also scrapped 191 domestic and 26 international flights, affecting 38,600 customers.
Significant portions of Japan’s bullet train services were set to be cancelled on Friday, including the busy route between Tokyo and Nagoya.
Typhoon Ampil, following Typhoon Maria, coincided with Japan’s “obon” holiday week when many travel back to their hometowns.
As of 9:00 am (0000 GMT), Typhoon Ampil was located 300 kilometers (190 miles) off Chichijima, a remote Pacific island, with gusts reaching up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Categorized as a “strong” typhoon, Ampil, which means tamarind in Cambodia’s Khmer language, was predicted to move back into the Pacific over the weekend.
Disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura urged the public to stay informed about evacuation advisories and take necessary safety precautions.
The weather agency issued warnings for possible violent gusts, flooding, overflowing rivers, and landslides in eastern regions.
Japan commonly faces significant typhoons that can lead to fatal landslides.
Recent studies suggest that typhoons in the region are forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly, and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
Researchers from universities in Singapore and the United States analyzed historical and future storm data to reach these conclusions.
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