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

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

Published: 11:19pm, 10 Oct 2019Updated: 6:29pm, 11 Oct 2019

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.