- Magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck in Japan ahead of the Typhoon Hagibis making landfall on Honshu island
- Heavy downpours and strong winds pounded the capital as the typhoon hit the south coast today
- Around 7.3 million people have been told to evacuate as two were killed and more than 30 were injured
- Japan Meteorological Agency said to ‘take all measures necessary to save lives’ and more rain is forecast
- More than 180,000 people are without power and 20 inches of rain is forecast for Tokyo area in next 24 hours
Seven million people have been told to evacuate in Japan as a typhoon forecast to be the nation’s most powerful in six decades made landfall on Honshu island.
Around 7.3 million people were placed under non-compulsory evacuation orders and more than 30 were injured after Typhoon Hagibis hit the south coast on Saturday.
Even before making landfall, Hagibis caused enormous disruption, forcing the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, delaying the Japanese Grand Prix and grounding all flights in the Tokyo region.
It crashed into Japan’s main Honshu island at 7pm before barrelling into Izu, a peninsula southwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
‘Be ready for rainfall of the kind that you have never experienced,’ said meteorological agency official Yasushi Kajihara, adding that areas usually safe from disasters may prove vulnerable.
‘Take all measures necessary to save your life,’ he said.
Huge waves crash against the shore in Mihana, Japan as Typhoon Hagibis gathers speed on the south coast of Honshu island
Surging waves generated by Typhoon Hagibis hit against a breakwater at a port in the town of Kiho on Saturday – as part of the storm which has left more than 180,000 people without power in the worst effected areas
The storm claimed the first of two victims hours before arriving on the coast, when strong winds from its outer bands flipped a car in Chiba east of Tokyo and killed the driver.
But it was Hagibis’ torrential rain that prompted the JMA to issue its highest-level emergency warning for parts of Tokyo and the surrounding areas, warning of disaster.
‘Unprecedented heavy rain has been seen in cities, towns and villages for which the emergency warning was issued,’ JMA forecaster Yasushi Kajiwara said.
‘The possibility is extremely high that disasters such as landslides and floods have already occurred. It is important to take action that can help save your lives.’
Firefighters patrol on a flooded road due to heavy rains caused by Typhoon Hagibis at Ota ward in Tokyo. Another 20 inches is forecast for the Tokyo area in the next 25 hours, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency
Pedestrians were seen wading through flooded roads as the powerful storm took hold in Japan and around 7.3 million people have been told to evacuate
Cars submerged in water in a residential area hit by the dramatic typhoon in Ise, central Japan. It has been called the worst Japan’s worst typhoon in the past six decades, leaving many locals stranded and dependent on shelters and emergency rations
At least two landslides have already been confirmed across Japan, with a man in his sixties killed in Gunma north of Tokyo.
By early evening, tens of thousands were in shelters and receiving emergency rations and blankets, though a 5.7-magnitude quake that rattled the Tokyo area did little to calm nerves.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered in the ocean off the coast of Chiba, near Tokyo, and was fairly deep at 59.5 kilometers.
Among the evacuees were people whose homes were damaged by a powerful typhoon that hit the region last month.
Two people walk through cables which fell on the road in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, during the storm. The JMA has issued a statement about the importance to ‘take action that can help save your lives’ as auto plants to the country’s convenience stores, usually open 24 hours a day, shut their doors. One man was killed in Chiba, east of Tokyo, when his car overturned
Rubble covers the ground in Ichihara, China, after winds reached 90mph and harsh weather ripped through homes
A damaged vehicle is upturned and a house was smashed after a tornado caused by Typhoon Hagibis hit Ichihara. The Meteorological Agency has issued its highest level of warning for rain for most of central and eastern Japan
‘I evacuated because my roof was ripped off by the other typhoon and rain came in. I’m so worried about my house,’ a 93-year-old man said, as he sheltered at a centre in Tateyama in Chiba east of Tokyo.
In Yokohama, outside of Tokyo, others hunkered down in their homes despite the storm.
‘I’m 77 and I’ve never seen anything like this,’ Hidetsugu Nishimura said.
‘We can hear an infernal din from the rain and the wind, and a fragment of the roof has gone. For an hour, the house was shaking from wind and rain.’
An earthquake shook the rain soaked island at 6:22pm on Saturday, shortly before the storm struck Shizuoka, on the south coast of Japan
The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.7 earthquake was centered in the ocean off the coast of Chiba, near Tokyo, and was fairly deep, at 59.5 kilometers
Around 7.3 million people were placed under non-compulsory evacuation orders on Saturday and five people including a three-year-old were sent to hospital
The skies above Japan turned pink and purple before typhoon Hagibi hit the country, causing mass devastation
Before the heavy downpours and strong winds pounded Tokyo and the surrounding areas, residents captured pictures of the bright pink and purple sky.
The eerie phenomenon, which often precedes or follows a major storm, is the result of ‘scattering’.
This happens when molecules and small particles in the atmosphere influence the direction of light, causing the light to scatter.
Heavy storms wash away the larger particles which have absorbed more light and scattered wavelengths more evenly. This makes the colours of the sky appear more vivid.
Even in the hours before the storm neared land, its outer bands brought tornado-like gusts of wind to Chiba, east of Tokyo, where one home was destroyed and several damaged.
Five people including a three-year-old boy were sent to hospital, but none suffered serious injuries, the local fire department said.
In Gotemba, west of Tokyo, emergency services said they had rescued one man who fell into a swollen canal but was still searching for a second man.
The JMA has forecast 20 inches of rain for the Tokyo area in the 24 hours to midday on Sunday, with more for the central Tokai region, but many rivers were already close to breaching their banks by Saturday afternoon.
Many rivers were close to breaching their banks by Saturday afternoon local time. A sign is pictured partially submerged as the Tama River floods during Typhoon Hagibis. Resident Hidetsugu Nishimura said they have ‘never seen anything like this’
High waves hit Shirahama on Saturday as Japan’s worst in six decades makes landfall – and the storm has caused the delay of Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers scheduled for Saturday and cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches
A view of an overflowing Sumida River on Saturday as Typhoon Hagibis approached Tokyo. It is believed that officials will make a decision about whether Scotland and Japan’s Rugby World Cup match will go through tomorrow only until the morning, as a result of the storm which has delayed Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers.
An emergency vehicle drives through debris on a flooded road during the evacuation of guests at the Osen Sanso Nakamura hotel in Sengokuhara, in Nakone province
In Kanagawa, authorities implemented an emergency discharge as the Shiroyama dam reached capacity, with warnings issued for people living downstream.
Across the regions affected by the storm, more than 180,000 people lost power.
Everything from auto plants to the country’s convenience stores, usually open 24 hours a day, shut their doors.
The storm has forced the delay of Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers scheduled for Saturday and the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches: England-France and New Zealand-Italy.
It could also jeopardise a key match-up between Scotland and Japan on Sunday. Officials are not expected to make a final decision on that game until Sunday morning, after they have assessed any damage to the venue and transport links.
Scotland face elimination if the match is axed and have warned they could take legal action if the game is cancelled. World Rugby called the threat ‘disappointing’.
Cars pass by at Ginza shopping district in the pouring rain due to Typhoon Hagibis in Tokyo. It crashed into Japan’s main Honshu island at 7pm before barrelling into Izu, a peninsula southwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
A woman tries to catch a taxi in the pouring rain as Typhoon Hagibis hits Tokyo. The country is hit by around 20 typhoons a year, though the capital is not usually badly affected.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of dangerously heavy rainfall in Tokyo and surrounding areas, including Gunma and Saitama. Most shockingly Kanagawa has seen 70mm of rain over 24 hours
‘Take all measures necessary to save your life,’ meteorological agency official Yasushi Kajihara said. Tokyo Disneyland was closed, while Ginza department stores (pictured) and smaller shops throughout Tokyo were shuttered
Organisers also warned on Saturday that a Namibia-Canada fixture could be cancelled in Kamaishi, which was hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Japan is hit by around 20 typhoons a year, though the capital is not usually badly affected.
Hagibis is bearing down on the region just weeks after Typhoon Faxai hit the area with similar strength, killing two and causing major damage in Chiba.
Authorities acted quickly, with warnings issued earlier in the week, including urging people to stay indoors. Some 17,000 police and military troops were called up, standing ready for rescue operations.
Shopkeepers taped up their windows in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo to prevent them from shattering (pictured). And more broadly, Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines grounded most domestic and international flights at the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya airports.
Hagibis was advancing northwestward with maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour on Saturday and a 5.7 earthquake hit the Kanto region around 6.22pm local time which did little to calm nerves
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines grounded most domestic and international flights at the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya airports.
Central Japan Railway Co. canceled bullet-train service between Tokyo and Osaka except for several early Saturday trains connecting Nagoya and Osaka. Tokyo Disneyland was closed, while Ginza department stores and smaller shops throughout Tokyo were shuttered.
A typhoon that hit the Tokyo region in 1958 left more than 1,200 people dead and half a million houses flooded.
source:dailymail