Japan braced for Typhoon Lan to make landfall, with airlines and railways canceling services in central areas of the country’s main island, where it is expected to hit on Tuesday.
Lan, the seventh tropical storm of the season, was over the Pacific Ocean near central Japan and was heading northwest on Monday at 15 kilometers per hour (9.3 mph), with maximum sustained winds of 139 km/h and gusts of up to 195 km/h. This was reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The outer edge of the storm is forecast to reach the coast of Wakayama Prefecture around 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) before heading north over the major population centers of Osaka and Kyoto. The JMA warned of heavy rain and wind and the risk of flooding and landslides.
Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings canceled many flights in the path of the storm. West Japan Railway announced a day-long suspension of Tokaido Shinkansen services between Nagoya and Osaka, as well as the Sanyo Shinkansen between Osaka and Okayama, on Tuesday.
The storm comes on the heels of Typhoon Khanun, which churned in the northwest Pacific for several days before lashing southern Japan, then headed north to pummel South Korea, China and the Russian Far East.
Typhoon Lan threatens to disrupt one of Japan’s busiest travel seasons during the Obon summer holiday, when many people take vacations and return to their hometowns.
Universal Studios Japan said it would close its Osaka theme park on Tuesday, while the Koshien National High School Baseball Tournament, a summer tradition watched by millions, canceled all games for the day.
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