Tropical Storm Mawar intensifies rains for Japan, threatens floods and mudslides in some regions
CTV
Heavy rains intensified by Tropical Storm Mawar fell on Japan's main archipelago Friday, halting trains and transit and threatening floods and mudslides in central and western regions, while residents were urged to use caution.
Heavy rains intensified by Tropical Storm Mawar fell on Japan's main archipelago Friday, halting trains and transit and threatening floods and mudslides in central and western regions, while residents were urged to use caution.
Warnings were issued in parts of western and central Japan, with up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) of rain forecast through Saturday evening. Residents in vulnerable areas, including those in Mie, Wakayama, Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures in central Japan, were warned of the potential for flooding and mudslides and advised to go to evacuation centers if possible.
Television footage showed swollen rivers in residential areas in Wakayama city, including one where brown water rose as high as the bottom of a bridge over it.
In Tokyo, the few pedestrians on the rainy streets clutched umbrellas as winds blew tree branches around. Afternoon classes were also cancelled at some schools. Ferry operations in the Tokyo Bay were cancelled for the rest of Friday.
Heavy rain and mudslide warnings were also issued in the nearby city of Yokohama, where a number of evacuation centers were opened.
Shinkansen super-express trains were suspended between Tokyo and Shin Osaka in western Japan due to heavy rain, according to the Central Japan Railway Co. Flights and ferries in southern Japan also were cancelled due to continuing strong winds. More than 17,500 homes in seven of the nine prefectures serviced by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings lost power.
Mawar remained well offshore in the Pacific Ocean, but its winds were strong enough as it passed Okinawa to cause injuries. An older woman who fell had a serious head injury in Nishihara city, while the injuries to seven other people were slight.
