MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Hagibis (international name, which means "speed" in the Philippine language) could match the strength of Storm Ida that killed 1,200 in Japan sixty years ago, forecasters said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in a news conference on Friday said Hagibis could be as severe as the Kanogawa Typhoon (local name of Ida), which battered Shizuoka Prefecture and the Tokyo region in 1958.
UPDATE: Super Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan
"The typhoon could bring record-level rainfall and winds," an official at the meteorological agency said, citing the risk of floods and landslides.
Japan is currently on highest alert as 'monster' cyclone is set to make landfall on Saturday evening, October 12.
JMA said the disturbance was about 200 miles southwest of Hachiojima, a tiny island south of the special wards of Tokyo, to which it belongs, with winds of about 100 miles per hour (161km/h) at its center.
With winds forecast to reach 216 kilometers per hour, Hagibis could potentially destroy houses in the Tokai area in central Japan and the Kanto-Koshin region, including the Tokyo central area, the agency warned.
Tokyo could receive as much as 24 inches of rain during the period. JMA warned of flooding, mudslides and waves as high as 42 feet along the coast.
Shops, factories and train networks have been shut down while the Rugby World Cup and the Formula One Grand Prix are facing cancellation.
All Nippon Airways Co. said it would cancel all domestic flights and most international flights to and from Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports on Saturday.
Theme parks Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea also announced suspension of operations from Saturday morning to Sunday at noon.
NOTE: In the Philippines, state weather bureau PAGASA spotted Hagibis at 1,895km northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon. The easterlies or warm winds from the Pacific are currently affecting Luzon.
— The Summit Express
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| Current image of Typhoon Hagibis from the Himawari series of geostationary meteorological satellites. Photo courtesy of Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). |
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in a news conference on Friday said Hagibis could be as severe as the Kanogawa Typhoon (local name of Ida), which battered Shizuoka Prefecture and the Tokyo region in 1958.
UPDATE: Super Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan
"The typhoon could bring record-level rainfall and winds," an official at the meteorological agency said, citing the risk of floods and landslides.
Japan is currently on highest alert as 'monster' cyclone is set to make landfall on Saturday evening, October 12.
JMA said the disturbance was about 200 miles southwest of Hachiojima, a tiny island south of the special wards of Tokyo, to which it belongs, with winds of about 100 miles per hour (161km/h) at its center.
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| Major Typhoon Hagibis is expected to make landfall on Saturday evening edged closer to Tokyo. Photo Credit: Google Maps |
With winds forecast to reach 216 kilometers per hour, Hagibis could potentially destroy houses in the Tokai area in central Japan and the Kanto-Koshin region, including the Tokyo central area, the agency warned.
Tokyo could receive as much as 24 inches of rain during the period. JMA warned of flooding, mudslides and waves as high as 42 feet along the coast.
Shops, factories and train networks have been shut down while the Rugby World Cup and the Formula One Grand Prix are facing cancellation.
All Nippon Airways Co. said it would cancel all domestic flights and most international flights to and from Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports on Saturday.
Theme parks Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea also announced suspension of operations from Saturday morning to Sunday at noon.
NOTE: In the Philippines, state weather bureau PAGASA spotted Hagibis at 1,895km northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon. The easterlies or warm winds from the Pacific are currently affecting Luzon.
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| DOST-PAGASA Weather Specialist Meno Mendoza gives update on Super Typhoon Hagibis. |
— The Summit Express
