Jebi Hits Japan — Strongest Typhoon for 25 Years
The strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan for 25 years has smacked into the country’s southern prefectures resulting in storm surges, torrential rains and damaging winds.
Jebi landed in the Tokushima prefecture Tuesday afternoon, local time, and is the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 1993, said Akihiro Kikuchi from Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
Below footage shows an 89m-long tanker, the Houunmaru, that was ripped from its anchorage and blown into the road bridge connecting Kansai Airport with the mainland.
A fuel tanker has collided into a bridge linking Kansai International airport to city. The airport has flooded and flights have been suspended. pic.twitter.com/UzrYX2NgTm
— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) September 4, 2018
Typhoon Jebi swept north across a swath of Japan's main island of Honshu toward the Sea of Japan, leaving destruction in its wake. Japan's Kyodo News service said it was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since 1993. pic.twitter.com/XXMRqdRr79
— NBC News World (@NBCNewsWorld) September 4, 2018
Hundreds of flights across the country were cancelled due to the severe weather.
Nine cities and towns issued compulsory evacuation orders.
Evacuation advisories were issued for 1.19 million people, along with a stronger but non-mandatory evacuation order for a further 16,000 people, as the wind and rain began to intensify on Tuesday afternoon.
5,000 refuge zones have been set up.
Typhoon #Jebi is making landfall in #Japan, bringing damaging winds, torrential rain, stormy seas and the risk of coastal flooding. There's recently been a 92 mph gust at Nankishirahama Airport on the south coast of Honshu pic.twitter.com/SBhsEHJIwm
— Met Office (@metoffice) September 4, 2018
Japan is bracing for major flooding and landslides.
Jebi has dumped over 500 mm of rain in some areas already, and wind gusts have been clocked at 216 km/h (135 mph).
Typhoon Jebi is the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan in 25 years, tipping over cars and trucks in Osaka https://t.co/ehxOzDU9U6 pic.twitter.com/BANiBaVUSO
— CNN International (@cnni) September 4, 2018
Several people were injured at Kyoto station when part of a glass ceiling collapsed, according to police.
So far at least 11 people are known to have died due to the storm.
Jebi –meaning “swallow” in Korean– is the latest weather disaster to hit Japan this summer following deadly rains, landslides, floods and heatwaves that have killed hundreds of people.
GSM
