TOKYO — Authorities in northern Japan issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents on Friday due to the threat of flooding and mudslides posed by a powerful typhoon approaching from the Pacific Ocean.
Flights and trains in the Tokyo area were canceled as warnings were issued for strong winds and heavy rainfall from Typhoon Ampil. The typhoon is expected to reach waters near Tokyo in the evening and then continue north, bringing stormy conditions to the northern Kanto and Tohoku regions on Saturday.
Ampil had sustained winds of 162 kph (101 mph) with higher gusts Friday morning and was moving north at 15 kph (9.3 mph), the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. While not expected to make landfall, the typhoon could weaken to a tropical storm by Sunday.
An evacuation order was issued for the more than 320,000 residents of the city of Iwaki in Fukushima prefecture. More than 30 locations, including school gymnasiums and community centers, were designated as safe shelters.
Evacuation warnings were also sent to at-risk areas in the cities of Asahi and Mobarashi in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo. Ampil was expected to reach the waters off Chiba by Friday evening.
Tokyo’s Disneyland, typically open until 9 p.m., closed at 3 p.m. due to the approaching typhoon. Yamato Transport, a delivery company serving Amazon and others in Japan, announced that no deliveries would be made in Tokyo and nearby affected areas on Friday and Saturday.
Shinkansen bullet trains operating between Tokyo and Nagoya were halted for the entire day, a common practice during typhoon events. Bullet trains serving northeastern Japan and some local Tokyo trains were also halted or operated on a slower schedule. The railway company indicated that a decision on resuming regular train operations would be made early Saturday.
Dozens of departing and arriving flights were canceled at Tokyo’s two airports, Haneda and Narita, as well as at Kansai, Osaka and Chubu airports. According to Japanese media reports, the flight cancellations affected approximately 90,000 individuals.
Airports and train stations had been crowded on Thursday with people attempting to avoid travel disruptions caused by the typhoon.
Tokyo experienced drizzly and windy conditions on Friday. Traffic and crowds on the streets were sparse, primarily attributed to the Obon summer holiday period rather than solely the weather. Stores remained open.
Officials urged residents to stay away from rivers and beaches and exercise caution due to powerful winds.
“We anticipate extremely strong winds and extremely rough seas,” warned Shuichi Tachihara, the meteorological agency’s chief forecaster.
Japanese TV broadcasts showed residents of the island of Hachijojima boarding up windows. Ampil moved past the Hachijo group of islands south of Tokyo by midday as it continued its northward trajectory.