Over 2 million people evacuated, 200 flights cancelled: How Japan is bracing for Typhoon Mekkhala
More than 2 million people were ordered to evacuate in Japan on Friday as authorities issued flood and landslide warnings with Typhoon Mekkhala imminent, while
More than 2 million people were ordered to evacuate in Japan on Friday as authorities issued flood and landslide warnings with Typhoon Mekkhala imminent, while the storm's torrential rain disrupted daily life in neighbouring Taiwan, forcing around 6 million people to stay home from work or school. Mekkhala was moving toward Japan's southern Ryukyu Islands after passing near Taiwan, where heavy rainfall battered several areas, particularly the southern cities of Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung. Southern and western Japan were also hit by heavy rain and strong winds, prompting warnings of landslides, flooding and rising river levels. Authorities issued evacuation orders for about 2.2 million residents.
The storm also disrupted transport, with more than 200 flights cancelled, dozens of train services suspended and several expressways shut, according to Japan's land ministry. The country's weather agency said a seasonal rain front, fuelled by warm and humid air, was intensifying rainfall, especially across western Japan. Toyota stopped operations at a factory in the southern region of Kyushu from Thursday afternoon into Friday's first shift, with a decision for the second shift due later. The governments of all three Taiwanese regions, meanwhile, ordered offices and schools closed on Friday. Severe flooding in Tainan shut down a section of the island's main north-south railway line.
In the northern Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, home to the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, offices and schools closed from noon (0400 GMT). TSMC said in a statement that it had taken measures across its Taiwan facilities to prepare for the rain, and its factories were operating normally. Some 6 million people live in the four affected areas of Taiwan. In parts of largely rural Pingtung, almost a metre (3.2 ft) of rain has fallen since Thursday. Barrier lake risk In Taiwan, no casualties have been reported, but authorities in Hualien County evacuated nearly 200 residents from two townships located downstream of a rapidly expanding barrier lake in the mountains.
Also Read | Planning a Japan trip? Your visa just got a lot more expensive Barrier lakes form when landslides, rocks or other natural debris block the flow of a river, creating a temporary dam that traps water and disrupts its natural course. The precaution follows last year's disaster in another part of Hualien, where 19 people were killed after a barrier lake burst during Super Typhoon Ragasa, sending torrents of water and mud through nearby homes. Forecasters said rain is expected to continue across Taiwan for at least another week, although its intensity is likely to gradually weaken.
The BriefWire