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Typhoon Faxai causes chaos in Japan

September 9, 2019

The strongest winds in years wreaked havoc on Japan's notoriously busy rush hour commute as flights were cancelled and train lines closed. More than 900,000 homes lost power.

An aerial photo shows damaged temporary scaffold set outside of a parking building at Haneda Airport
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/Yomiuri Shimbun

One of the strongest typhoons to hit the Japanese capital in recent years swept through Tokyo on Monday, killing one person and injuring more than 30. Winds reached speeds of up to 216 kilometers (134 miles) per hour.

The typhoon also wreaked havoc on Japan's notoriously busy rush hour commute and knocked out power to more than 900,000 homes. 

Train and subway services were suspended and more than 100 flights out of Tokyo's airports were cancelled as Typhoon Faxai made landfall in the northern suburb of Chiba just before dawn.

Read more: Japan slowly cleans up Typhoon Jebi damage

Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Jiji Press

Forecasters had earlier warned of possible record wind speeds. Non-mandatory evacuation orders were in place for nearly 340,000 people.

Authorities said more than 2,000 people sought refuge in shelters after evacuating.

At least 10 homes were damaged with shattered windows and flipped cars. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, and scaffolding was torn from buildings. More than 900,000 power failures in the Tokyo area were also reported.

Read more: Earthquake paralyzes Japan's northern island of Hokkaido

By mid-Monday morning, the storm had receded back offshore and moved northeast away from Japan and back into the Pacific Ocean.

Japan's weather agency warned that landslides were still possible in Chiba and the northern Fukushima region as the storm headed away from land.

mmc/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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