At the origin of the cancellation of the England-France rugby match and the postponement of the Formula 1 Grand Prix qualifiers, Typhoon Hagibis fell as expected on Japan on Saturday (October 12th). It caused the death of two people, according to an interim balance sheet.
The center of the typhoon docked shortly before 7 pm (10 am GMT) more than 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. He reached the Japanese capital around 9 pm local time, accompanied by wind gusts of up to 200 km / h, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency JMA.
Even before the typhoon hit the coast, his fringes made a death in the Chiba area (eastern suburbs of Tokyo), a man found in a van overturned, according to firefighters.
At least two landslides were confirmed, including one in the Gunma area (north of Tokyo) that caused another casualty, a man in his sixties.
Several people were also missing, including three in a car washed away by the current after the collapse of a bridge she was crossing in the Nagano region, a local official confirmed.
Warning against high waves and floods
Some 7.3 million Japanese had received evacuation instructions on Saturday after record rains led to the triggering of the maximum rainfall alert in several regions, a level reserved for possible disasters.
Tens of thousands of people had followed these recommendations, which were not mandatory. They were accommodated in shelters (gymnasiums, multi-purpose halls) with emergency food, water and blankets.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake broke out in Chiba, a prefecture already hit hard by a previous typhoon last month. No tsunami warnings were triggered.
In addition to the landslides, the JMA weather agency warned of high waves and floods, the risk of which was increased by the approach of the full moon, which amplifies the tides. JMA has forecast 50 cm of rain over the Tokyo metropolitan area in 24 hours until Sunday noon, and even more in the center of the country.
Two men fell on Saturday afternoon in a flood canal in Gotemba, west of Tokyo. One of them was rescued but the firemen were still looking for the second one.
Twenty typhoons a year in Japan
More than 180,000 homes in affected areas were without electricity in the evening.
Factories were closed, as were many supermarkets and supermarkets in Tokyo, after being assaulted by residents on Friday.
The typhoon also paralyzed transport in the greater Tokyo area, this weekend extended by a holiday Monday: air, rail and underground lines were suspended.
Japan is hit by twenty typhoons each year. Before Hagibis, Faxai had killed at least two people in early September and caused extensive damage to Chiba.
With AFP