Flights hit as Typhoon Fitow heads towards Japan; China battens down
Powerful Typhoon Fitow forced flight cancellations and power outages as it barrelled towards Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa. Japan, Taiwan and mainland China were all bracing for the storm, with Japan's meteorological agency warning of strong winds and heavy rain, as well as the risk of tornados, just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi wreaked havoc in the region.
Powerful Typhoon Fitow forced flight cancellations and power outages as it barrelled towards Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa yesterday.
Japan, Taiwan and mainland China were all bracing for the storm, with Japan's meteorological agency warning of strong winds and heavy rain, as well as the risk of tornados, just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi wreaked havoc in the region.
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and its low-cost carrier Peach Aviation said flights to and from Naha had been cancelled.
Hong Kong's Dragonair also said its Okinawa flights had been cancelled.
The typhoon, named after a flower from Micronesia, was heading towards Taiwan and was expected to pass to the north of the island today.
The Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan said the typhoon had gathered momentum and was packing gusts of 137 km/h.
"Fitow is maintaining its strength and will bring heavy rains to northern and northeastern Taiwan, especially Taipei and New Taipei. Its impact is expected to be at the strongest on Sunday morning," the bureau said.
At least 25 international flights were cancelled, while 20 ferry services were suspended.
Although the typhoon was unlikely to make landfall, the military stepped up its preparations and ordered more than 20,000 troops to be on standby.
The mainland issued a warning over the typhoon, which is set to hit the country's southeast coastline late today.
The National Meteorological Centre raised a red alert yesterday, saying the storm would make landfall in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian .
Meanwhile rescuers yesterday retrieved the bodies of four more fishermen from the South China Sea in the aftermath of Typhoon Wutip last week, bringing the death toll of a shipwreck to 10. Another 52 remain missing.
