Japan: Typhoon Mawar leads to power outage, suspension of bullet train in Tokyo

Tokyo: Wide swathes of Japan are being hit by heavy downpours, owing to bands of thick thunderclouds formed due to Tropical Storm Mawar's presence in the Pacific. It was noted that the severe weather condition lead to flooding, power outages, and suspension of bullet train there.

Typhoon Mawar's impact on Japan

Parts of Japan were slammed by torrential rain on Friday as Tropical Storm Mawar neared. The authorities advised more than a million people to evacuate, many flights and other transport were cancelled, and power blackouts were reported in thousands of homes: The Straits Times

Just over 300 flights were cancelled as at noon on Friday, along with 52 ferry services, local media reports quoted the Transport Ministry. Shinkansen bullet train service was halted from Tokyo to Osaka, western Japan, as well as some other parts of the nation, public broadcaster NHK reported. 

Meanwhile, power blackouts from nearly 9,000 households were reported as a result of the typhoon.

Heavy rain in regions including Tokyo

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Friday said that as well as causing torrential rain in Kochi, Wakayama, and Nara prefectures in western Japan, the band of thunderclouds was also causing heavy rain in the Tokai and Kanto-koshin region, which includes Tokyo.

The agency said conditions in the Kanto-koshin region could worsen on Saturday as more thunderclouds are expected to form, Xinhua news agency reported.

Weather officials said Mawar is currently moving eastward on waters near Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture.

Along with the Okinawa and Amami regions, weather officials said that areas in Kyushu are now within the storm's zone of strong winds, and have warned residents to be vigilant of powerful wind gusts, floods, landslides, and lightning.

(With agency inputs)