Japan’s weather agency issued a heavy rain emergency warning on Thursday for parts of the Izu island chain south of Tokyo, as Typhoon Halong moves closer to the region.
The most severe weather alert covered Hachijo Island, some 280 km south of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, warning about life-threatening conditions and calling on people in Hachijo to evacuate immediately for their safety, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
As of 7 a.m. local time, the typhoon was moving in a northeasterly direction some 70 km east-southeast of Hachijo Island at a speed of about 30 km per hour, packing winds of up to 252 kph.
Weather officials said extremely strong winds are expected in the island chain with winds up to 180 kph and peak gusts over 250 kph, strong enough to topple buildings.
The agency also forecast that the remote region will receive up to 180 millimeters of rain in the 24 hours through Friday morning.
News.Az
AloJapan.com