Tropical storm Jangmi hits Japan, cuts power to nearly 60,000 homes

TOKYO: Severe tropical storm Jangmi swept across Japan on Wednesday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that disrupted transport and business activity and left nearly 60,000 households without electricity, according to Japanese authorities.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the centre of the storm was around 150 kilometres south of Tokyo early on Wednesday afternoon and was moving northeast with maximum sustained winds of up to 25 metres per second. The agency said the storm was expected to pass very close to the Pacific side of eastern Japan and warned that heightened caution was necessary.

At least 15 people suffered minor injuries, authorities said. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara told a regular press briefing that the storm, which had a central pressure of 985 hectopascals, had caused power cuts to nearly 60,000 households. He also said authorities were receiving reports of flooding, fallen trees and debris, and landslides across a broad area.

Speaking at the briefing, Kihara urged residents to act promptly if they felt at risk. "If you sense any danger, please do not hesitate to take early action to protect your lives," he said.

Evacuation advisories were issued for hundreds of thousands of residents in eight prefectures spanning southwestern, central and eastern Japan. Posts on social media showed inundated roads and subway stations, while storm-related phrases including evacuation order and soaked wet were among the terms trending on X.

Transport and factory operations affected

The storm also caused major travel disruption. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled nearly 900 domestic and international flights on Wednesday, affecting close to 90,000 passengers.

Rail services were also hit. Some bullet train services in Kyushu and parts of western Japan were delayed, while East Japan Railway said certain rail services in the Tokyo area had been suspended and that more disruptions could follow later in the day.

Manufacturing operations were temporarily halted at some major automakers. Toyota Motor suspended operations at 13 plants in Japan on Wednesday morning before later saying it planned to restart production in the evening. Suzuki Motor also said it intended to resume operations later in the day after stopping work in the morning at all five of its plants in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo.