Typhoon Jebi death toll rises to 11
The death toll from Typhoon Jebi has risen to 11, with more than 600 people injured in the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years.
Eight of the deaths occurred in the western prefecture of Osaka, including four men who fell from heights such as the roof of houses or apartments after being hit by strong winds.
Three others reportedly died after being struck by flying objects.
The typhoon left a path of destruction as it crossed the main island of Honshu on Wednesday morning.
#Osaka the day after #Typhoon #JEBI roared through. Falling billboard sliced this car in half. #HurricaneMan pic.twitter.com/kgYlTkQQK5
— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) September 5, 2018
More than a million households have lost power in Japan and 1000s are stranded after Typhoon Jebi, the most powerful storm in 25 years, raising questions of how the country will cope with the increasing incidence of extreme weather events.https://t.co/ZZO2nGLwLs pic.twitter.com/09ROsKNWfm
— ABC News (@abcnews) September 5, 2018
The powerful typhoon slammed into western Japan on Tuesday, inundating the region’s main international airport and blowing a tanker into a bridge, land prompting evacuation advisories for more than a million people.
It was off the northern coast of Fukui early Wednesday with sustained winds of 126km/h and gusts up to 180km/h, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The season’s 21st typhoon was downgraded to an extra-tropical cyclone over the Tatar Strait near Russia around 9am, the Meteorological Agency said, after dumping torrential rains on the northern island of Hokkaido overnight, toppling trees and utility poles.
LOOK: High waves hit breakwaters at a port of Aki, Kochi prefecture, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. (Photo by Ichiro Banno/Kyodo News via @AP) pic.twitter.com/rQX9EMS7t3
— Manila Bulletin News (@manilabulletin) September 4, 2018
Jebi, whose name means “swallow” in Korean, was briefly a super typhoon and is the latest harsh weather to hit Japan following rains, landslides, floods and record-breaking heat that killed hundreds of people.
Television footage showed waves pounding the coastline, sheet metal tumbling across a car park, cars turned on their sides, dozens of used cars on fire at an exhibition area, and a big ferris wheel spinning around in the strong wind.
Tides in some areas were the highest since a typhoon in 1961, NHK public television said, with flooding covering the runways at Kansai International Airport in Osaka.
The strong winds and high tides sent a 2591-tonne tanker crashing into a bridge connecting Kansai airport, which is built on a man-made island in a bay, to the mainland.
The bridge was damaged but the tanker was empty and none of its crew was injured, the coast guard said.
https://twitter.com/Thoton/status/1036877729952456704
The storm made landfall on Shikoku, the smallest main island, around noon. It raked across the western part of the largest main island, Honshu, near the city of Kobe, several hours later before heading out to the Sea of Japan in the evening.
Evacuation advisories were issued for more than one million people as the wind and rain began picking up, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Wind gusts of up to 208km/h were recorded in one part of Shikoku.
https://twitter.com/SMOKINGKILLS_55/status/1036847136216772608
About 100 millimetres of rain drenched one part of the tourist city of Kyoto in an hour, with as much as 500 millimetres set to fall in some areas in the 24 hours to noon on Wednesday.
Video posted on Twitter showed a small part of the roof of Kyoto train station falling to the ground.
More than 700 flights were cancelled, along with scores of ferries and trains, NHK said. Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Hiroshima were suspended and Universal Studios Japan, a popular amusement park near Osaka, was closed.
• Kansai International Airport in #Osaka and the bridge connecting it to the mainland are closed
• At least one landing area, bus stops and a few other places are flooded
• Storm flood of 3 m and winds of 58.1 m/s
• People at KIX are unable to leave— 🅳🆄🅸🆃🆂 Kjeld Duits (@KjeldDuits) September 4, 2018
HOLY CRAP these images from Typhoon Jebi
this is equal parts awe-inspiring and horrifying
everyone in its path, please stay safe pic.twitter.com/DP1XWdShYF
— Nate x Ming: The New Dynasty (@NateMing) September 4, 2018
Some 177,000 customers across western Japan lost power, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. Toyota Motor Corp said it was cancelling the night shift at some 14 plants.
The capital, Tokyo, will be far from the centre of the storm but was set for heavy rains and high winds by the end of Tuesday.
-with AAP
