Typhoon Dujuan hits Japan: two dead, 275 flights canceled and 1.6 million residents advised to evacuate

Two people have died in Japan, while 275 flights were canceled and around 1.6 million residents were urged to leave at-risk areas after Typhoon Dujuan struck. Heavy rains caused flooding and landslides near Tokyo.

The victims were reported in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, where landslides were caused by intense rainfall. Japanese authorities confirmed the information, according to local media reports, including the Kyodo news agency.

On Tuesday morning, the storm moved away from the coast and headed northeast over the archipelago, while the intensity of the winds weakened slightly, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

When it was about 130 kilometers south of Katsura, near Tokyo, Dujuan was producing winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour. More than 9,000 households in Chiba, Saitama, Shizuoka and other areas near the capital’s metropolitan region were left without electricity.

The JMA issued landslide warnings for Tokyo, as well as the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Shizuoka.

“Rainfall may continue” as the storm system moves north, Takuya Hosomi of the JMA told reporters.

Evacuation advisories were issued to more than 1.6 million residents of the capital and surrounding areas, particularly those living in vulnerable areas. However, these advisories are not mandatory nationwide.

In addition to the two fatalities, authorities reported one person with minor injuries and damage to nine homes.

Photographs shared on social media showed water-covered roads near Kamakura railway station, a tourist area. Mayor Takashi Matsuo said that many parts of the city had been flooded and warned that driving was dangerous.

Japan Airlines suspended 135 flights, while All Nippon Airways canceled 140 domestic flights. Meanwhile, several railway companies halted services on various lines in Tokyo and its surrounding areas.

A day earlier, on Sunday, the JMA had warned that rainfall and winds would intensify before the typhoon made landfall. The agency estimated that total rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average for the entire month of September and set a new record.

Bad weather also led to the cancellation of several events, including the final day of the Tokyo Game Show, an outdoor music festival and a baseball game.

Flooding was also reported in several areas of Ichikawa, east of the Japanese capital.