28 Sep 2018 | 08:20 AM UTC
Japan: Airlines cancel flights as Trami accelerates toward Japan Sep. 28 /update 3
Airlines cancel nearly 200 flights on September 28 as Typhoon Trami accelerates toward Japan; eye to pass by Okinawa and Amami on September 29
Event
Airlines canceled nearly 200 flights in preparation for Typhoon Trami as of Friday afternoon (local time), September 28, according to local media. JAL and ANA both suspended more than 100 domestic flights and Taiwanese airlines also canceled flights to Okinawa. Further flight delays and cancelations are likely at airports across the country, particularly southern Japan, as the storm moves up the Ryukyu Islands and toward the mainland. The Category 2 equivalent storm is forecast to pass just off the northwest coasts of Okinawa and Amami islands on Saturday, September 29, before arriving on the Japanese mainland near Osaka on Sunday, September 30.
As of 12:00 on Friday, Trami is was located 392 km (244 mi) south of Okinawa and producing 170 km/h (106 mph) winds with gusts up to 204 km/h (127 mph) and is forecast to gain strength as it moves toward Japan. The storm is predicted to bring heavy rain and damaging storm surge to the Ryukyu Islands and the southern coast of Japan. Further transportation disruptions are likely; flooding, mudslides, and power outages are also possible.
Context
Tropical cyclones and typhoons are common in the western Pacific from June through November. Japan has experienced seven typhoons since July, including Typhoon Jebi which made landfall in early September. Jebi was the strongest tropical storm to hit Japan since 1993 and killed 17 people and caused extensive damage, including forcing the closure of KIX after flooding its runways and main terminal and damaging the bridge to the mainland.
Advice
Individuals present in the abovementioned regions are advised to monitor local weather reports, anticipate transportation and power disruptions, obey instructions issued by the local authorities, and avoid flood-prone areas until the situation stabilizes. Remember that driving or walking through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult - and that floodwater may contain wastewater or chemical products; all items having come into contact with the water should be disinfected and all foodstuffs discarded.
