OVER seven million people have been told to evacuate in Japan as the powerful Typhoon Hagibis hit the country with the heaviest rain and winds in (years.)
The typhoonhas maximum sustained winds of up to 111 mph and up to 30 inches of rain could be unleashed before it blows out to sea.
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Shortly before the typhoon made landfall a 5.7-magnitude earthquake was centered in the ocean off the coast of Chiba, near Tokyo.
The storm has already claimed two lives, including a a man in his forties died when his car overturned in a tornado east of Tokyo and five others were injured when gales tore the roofs off a number of homes.
More than 60 people have been injured across the country.
Typhoon Hagibis has led to more than 370, 0000 homes to lose power, according to public broadcaster NHK .
Pictures from today show Japan’s Rugby World Cup players wading through a flooded stadium in Tokyo.
The team was forced to leave the stadium ahead of their match with Scotland.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the highest alert level for 12 regions, including Tokyo, warning of amounts of rain that occur only once in decades.
Agency official Yasushi Kajihara said: “Be ready for rainfall of the kind that you have never experienced.
“Damage from floods and landslides is likely taking place already.
“It is critical that people take action urgently to protect their lives and the lives of loved ones.”
DEADLY STORM
Kajihara said people who live near rivers must take shelter on the second floor or higher of any sturdy building if an officially designated evacuation center wasn’t easily accessible.
Several people were missing in a town near Tokyo after a landslide destroyed two houses, NHK said.
The rough weather has caused 1, 600 flights to be grounded, while shops and factories have also been closed.
Weather models project the monster storm will continue on a north-westerly path towards as it made landfall this morning.
Nobuyuki Tsuchiya, director of the Japan Riverfront Research Center, said Tokyo, where 1.5million people live below sea level, said residents are at risk of storm surges.
He said: “We are heading towards high tide. If the typhoon hits Tokyo when the tide is high, that could cause storm surges and that would be the scariest scenario.
“People in Tokyo have been in a false sense of security.”
Hagibis, which means “speed” in Filipino, was advancing North with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph, according to the meteorological agency.
The deadliest Typhoon to hit Japan was Typhoon Ida, known as the “Kanogawa Typhoon” in 1958 where it killed more than 1, (people.)
Rugby World Cup matches have also been changed for October 12 and 13.
England vs France in Yokohama is among those to be called off, with Sunday’s matches still under consideration.
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But Scotland are hoping they are still able to play Japan in Yokohama on Sunday, with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.
New Zealand secured their place in the next round after their match against Italy – who still had a chance of progressing but now miss out – was cancelled.
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Typhoon Hagibis – Japan Rugby World cup team forced to wade through flooded stadium
Super Typhoon Hagibis is fast approaching Japan with disruption to the Rugby World Cup and Japanese F1 Grand Prix threatened
What is the difference between a cyclone, typhoon and hurricane?
Hurricanes, cyclones andtyphoonsare names for the same weather phenomenon.
The difference between them is their location.
Hurricanes are tropical storms that form over the North Atlantic Ocean and North East Pacific.
Cyclones are formed over the South Pacific and Indian Ocean and typhoons form over the North West Pacific Ocean.
Hurricanes and typhoons are tropical cyclones – which is a generic term to indicate rotating systems of clouds and thunderstorms over tropical or subtropical waters.
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