TOKYO – Japan’s weather agency issued a special heavy rain warning for the Izu island chain south of Tokyo on Thursday, cautioning about life-threatening conditions and urging residents to remain vigilant for landslides and flooding.
The southern part of the chain saw record rainfalls as Typhoon Halong moved in a northeasterly direction over the Pacific, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue the alert covering Hachijo Island, some 280 kilometers south of the Japanese capital.
According to the agency, rainfall on Hachijo in the three hours through 7 a.m. reached 207 millimeters, the highest ever for the area.
The weather forced hundreds of residents in the region to take refuge at evacuation centers.
The agency also said that winds of up to 196.92 km per hour were logged early Thursday morning on Hachijo.
Police said three men who were fishing in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture facing the Pacific were swept away by waves, leaving one dead. Local authorities said advisories for high waves and strong winds were issued for the town at the time.
As of noon, the season’s 22nd typhoon was moving east-northeast some 210 km east of Hachijo Island at a speed of about 30 kph, packing winds of up to 234 kph.
AloJapan.com