Tropical storm Lan hits western Japan with strong winds and heavy rain

Tropical Storm Lan brought heavy rainfall equivalent to a month's worth of precipitation as it made landfall on Japan's western Honshu Island on Tuesday morning, causing rivers to swell and triggering landslide warnings.

Downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm, Lan surged from the Pacific Ocean at around 5 a.m. (2000 GMT), accompanied by powerful winds that battered Osaka and Kobe, major commercial centers, on its northern trajectory.

Japan's Meteorological Agency posted on its social media platform "X" (formerly known as Twitter), "The total rainfall has already exceeded the average monthly rainfall for August in some areas" across central and western regions.

In a statement, the agency urged residents to be cautious "about heavy rain and strong winds."

Electricity was restored to most of the seven affected areas, leaving around 15,000 homes without power until Tuesday afternoon, according to the power company.

The rainfall swept away a section of a pedestrian bridge in Kyoto, and flying debris halted local passenger train services. Authorities suspended bullet train services and hundreds of flights, particularly those departing from or arriving at Osaka.

Kyodo News agency reported that approximately 650 people were stranded overnight at Kansai Airport on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, as the storm cut off roads and rail lines.

Local governments issued non-mandatory evacuation orders for over 237,000 people, particularly in Wakayama, Kyoto, and the ancient capital of Nara.

In a town in the Hyogo region, around 16,000 residents were urged to move to higher ground due to flooding from one of the rivers.

The storm is expected to head towards the Sea of Japan by the end of Tuesday and sweep along the coast, impacting Vladivostok and Russia's Far East.



AFP