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A travel warning sign about possible train suspensions at Hamamatsu railway station. Photo: Reuters

Typhoon Hagibis: Japan travel chaos expected as flight cancellations set to hit Tokyo airports

  • Storm projected to make landfall in Japan on Saturday, bringing torrential rain, high waves and storm surges
  • Service suspensions by transport operators come as Japan still recovers from devastating storm only a month ago
Japan

Japan Airlines will cancel more than 90 per cent of domestic flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports on Saturday due to Typhoon Hagibis, according to Japanese media, while rival carrier ANA has said it will suspend all its domestic flights using the two airports that day.

The storm, packing winds equivalent to a category five hurricane, was heading north over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday towards Japan’s main island of Honshu, only a month after another devastating typhoon struck the country.

It could make landfall on Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. “Regardless of whether this typhoon makes landfall or not, it will have a grave impact,” an agency official said.

A satellite photo of Hagibis approaching Japan (top) on Tuesday. Photo: AP

People should prepare for torrential rain, fierce winds, high waves and storm surges, he added.

East Japan Railway, which serves eastern Japan including Tokyo, said it might have to suspend operations on conventional lines and may suspend the Shinkansen bullet train service over the weekend.

Central Japan Railway also said it could suspend Shinkansen trains linking Tokyo and the western city of Osaka.

Rugby World Cup organisers have cancelled Saturday’s game between England and France as well as New Zealand’s match against Italy due to the risk from the typhoon, while a Sunday game between hosts Japan and Scotland is in doubt.

Japan braces for Super Typhoon Hagibis

The sport’s governing body, World Rugby, and tournament officials said the decision had been taken due to the expected disruption, particularly to transport.

Organisers of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix said they would cancel Saturday’s programme, and move the qualifying session to Sunday.

The Suzuka circuit, which is set to host Sunday’s race, is about 300km (186 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

Hagibis is expected to pass over or close to Chiba prefecture, which was hit hard by typhoon Faxai a month ago.

The sun sets over the Tokyo area on Thursday as Hagibis looms. Photo: AFP

Faxai, one of the strongest typhoons to hit Japan in recent years, destroyed or damaged 30,000 houses and caused long power cuts.

An official at the prefectural government’s disaster response headquarters urged people to be ready for Hagibis.

“In particular, we want them to store up at least three days’ worth of food and water,” said the official, Naoto Hayashi.

In Tokyo, which is also in the likely path of the storm, 1.5 million people live below sea level in eastern parts of the city.

Experts have warned that as many as 5 million would have to be evacuated if massive dykes and levees in low-lying areas were to be overwhelmed by surging floodwaters.

Japan’s navy, or Maritime Self Defence Force as it is known, has cancelled two preview days of a fleet review and may have to abandon the main event on Monday as well.

The review, last held four years ago, is due to include 46 naval vessels, including a helicopter carrier, destroyers and submarines, and 40 aircraft.

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