Japan: Typhoon Khanun warns of strong winds and rain in Okinawa

In Japan, residents of southwestern islands were warned of strong winds and rain later this week after Typhoon Khanun, which has been largely stationary so far, headed east on Friday. It was being speculated that Khanun would make a U-turn, due to which it would have more impact in Okinawa and nearby islands. Since the beginning of this week, Khanun has brought rain and winds to Okinawa and nearby islands. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that due to the effect of Khanun, winds were blowing at a speed of 126 kilometers per hour on Friday morning. Up to 15 cm of rain is expected in the Okinawa region by Saturday and up to 30 cm in the Amami region on the southern main island of Kyushu by Sunday.

Khanun moved across the islands on Tuesday when winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour damaged homes and caused power outages. Okinawa’s local government said 44 people were injured in accidents caused by the typhoon, three of them in serious condition. Two of the deaths are being investigated as storm-related deaths, but are not in the official death toll. According to the Okinawa Electric Power Company, about 220,000 homes in Okinawa, or about 30 percent, are without power due to the storm. According to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, some 50,000 homes were without power as of Friday morning.

Since the beginning of this week, Okinawa’s airport has been crowded with stranded passengers. Steve Hyun, executive director of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours, said about 80 Hong Kong travelers were stuck in a hotel on Wednesday, of whom 26 were to fly to their destinations on Thursday and the rest were to leave on Friday. Khanun’s U-turn will take it away from China, where rain from earlier storms has caused severe flooding in and around Beijing this week.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.