AFP, TOKYO
Japanese airlines canceled more than 100 flights yesterday, as two tropical storms barrelled toward the archipelago, with authorities advising evacuations in some areas because of possible flooding and landslides. Severe tropical storm Mekkhala was downgraded from a typhoon, but still carried gusts of up to 144kph, forecasters said, with heavy rain already pounding parts of southern and western Japan. The weather system was expected to skirt the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku over the weekend and potentially converge with tropical storm Higos, which was also swirling further out in the Pacific.That could result in the atmospheric phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara effect when two storms interact, making forecasting their movements and strengths more difficult.
A tow truck driver retrieves a partially submerged car in Kashiwara, Japan, yesterday.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways canceled a total of 120 flights to and from the southern regions of Okinawa and Kagoshima.The Kyoto region advised several thousand residents to evacuate, warning of potential landslides, as footage from public broadcaster NHK showed a raging brown river running through the area.
Officials in Kyoto and Osaka said water levels in rivers were rising and warned that vigilance was required, because of the threat of flooding.Toyota suspended operations at a plant in Kyushu due to road closures caused by heavy rain, while Nissan also said it planned to halt some production lines, Kyodo News reported.
