Nearly 1000 flights were canceled and tens of thousands of homes were de-energized as the slow-moving typhoon hit western Japan early Tuesday morning, prompting authorities to issue flood and landslide warnings. Approaching from the Pacific Ocean, Typhoon Lan hit the southern tip of Wakayama Prefecture, 400 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The typhoon was blowing at 150 km/h (93 miles per hour) and moving northwestward across the western part of the main island of Honshu at about 15 km/h (9 miles per hour).
The typhoon, which followed on the heels of Typhoon Hanun during Japan's peak Obon holiday season, pounded central and western Japan with heavy rains and strong winds. Television footage showed raging rivers about to overflow their banks. Floors of homes and stores suffered water damage, and in the city of Nara, strong winds felled scaffolding at a construction site.
Nearly 90,000 households in central and western Japan were affected by the blackout, regional utilities said. Seven & i said about 210 7-Eleven outlets were closed for safety reasons. Due to dangerous levels of rain and wind, roads were closed and dozens of rail lines in the area were suspended. After flights in Japan were cancelled and 240,000 people were ordered to move to safety the slow-moving typhoon crossed Japan's main island of Honshu not far from the ancient capital of Kyoto, cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes.Like many other Asian countries, Japan has been grappling with deadly extreme weather this summer. In July, heavy rainfall in the southwest of the country led to flooding and mudslides which left at least six people dead. The same month, Japan experienced intense heat waves, with temperatures above 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in some places.
Scientists are clear that human-caused global warming will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
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