One fatality

Typhoon Hagibis has begun its rampage along the Pacific
coast of Japan’s main island with 5.16 million evacuation
advisories ordered up and down Honshu’s south coast. The furious
storm has even resulted in one fatality.

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One fatality

A man from Ichihara, a city in Chiba Prefecture, was killed when
his vehicle was upturned. The 49-year-old man was taken to hospital
where he was pronounced dead.

Typhoon Hagibis is the most
powerful storm to hit the country in 60 years. It has already
resulted in some areas being flooded and tens of thousands of homes
without power.

Winds of 180km/h (111mph) could cause further damage and
problems, the Japan Meteorological Agency has warned as
it classified the storm as “very strong.”

Hagibis is now advancing on a northerly path over the
south of Honshu and it is set on a collision course with Tokyo and
the wider Kanto region. 

Events canceled

The storm comes at an unfortunate time as some Rugby World Cup
matches and Formula One races have had to be canceled.

Hagibis means “speed” in the Philippine language Tagalog
and the storm could be the strongest Japan has faced since the
Kanogawa Typhoon in 1958, which left more than 1,200 people dead or
missing.

Flights in and out of Japan have been disrupted, with
Tokyo’s two main airports subject to the most cancellations.
Meanwhile, trains have suspended service throughout the Tokyo
region, including bullet train service between the capital and
Osaka and between Osaka and Fukuoka, on the island of
Kyushu.