Japanese airlines cancelled over 100 flights on Friday as two tropical storms barrelled towards the archipelago. Authorities advised evacuations in some areas due to the risk of flooding and landslides.
Storm Details and Impact
Severe tropical storm Mekkhala, downgraded from a typhoon, was packing gusts of up to 144 kilometres (89 miles) per hour. Heavy rain was already affecting parts of southern and western Japan. The storm was expected to skirt the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku over the weekend.
Tropical storm Higos was also swirling further out into the Pacific. The potential convergence of these storms could result in the Fujiwhara effect, making forecasting their movements and strengths more challenging.
Airline and Production Disruptions
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled 70 and 50 flights, respectively, from and to the southern regions of Okinawa and Kagoshima.
Automaker Toyota suspended operations at a plant in Kyushu due to road closures caused by heavy rain. Nissan also planned to halt some production lines.
Evacuations and Military Operations
The Kyoto region advised several thousand residents to evacuate, warning of potential landslides. Both Kyoto and Osaka announced rising water levels in main rivers, requiring vigilance for flooding.
The Japanese military cancelled the maiden planned flight of a V-22 Osprey transport aircraft to Miyako Island, part of joint exercises with the United States.
