Dragonair cancels flights as typhoon Fitow nears Okinawa

Powerful Typhoon Fitow is expected to hit Japan’s southern island chain of Okinawa on Saturday, with domestic and international flights to and from the islands cancelled, officials said.

Japan, Taiwan and China are bracing for the storm, with Japan’s meteorological agency warning of strong winds and heavy rains, as well as the risk of tornados, just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi wreaked havoc in the region.

 At  9:00 am, Typhoon Fitow was moving slowly northwest, about 200 kilometres south of Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the agency said.

Hong Kong’s Dragonair said Saturday its Okinawa flights had been cancelled.

Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and its low-cost carrier Peach Aviation also said that flights to and from Naha had been cancelled because the approach of the typhoon.

The typhoon, named after a flower in Micronesia, is expected to approach Taiwan on Sunday.