Tropical Storm Jangmi drenches central Japan, triggers flood warnings in Tokyo region

Tropical Storm Jangmi brought torrential rain and heightened flood risks across east-central Japan on Wednesday as it moved into the densely populated Tokyo metropolitan area, disrupting transport services and causing power outages.

Heavy rainfall snarled road traffic, forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and led to delays and suspensions on several rail lines. More than 5,000 households lost electricity, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings.

Authorities urged residents living near rivers and in low-lying areas to seek shelter as water levels rose rapidly. In Tokyo, evacuation advisories were issued for communities near the Zenpukuji River, where television footage showed swollen, muddy waters nearing overflow levels.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Jangmi was located east of Shima city on Wednesday morning and moving northeast with maximum sustained winds of about 90 kph (55 mph). The agency issued its highest-level flood alerts for several areas in central and eastern Japan and warned residents to move to higher ground if necessary.

The storm dumped as much as 50 centimeters (20 inches) of rain in parts of central Japan over the previous 24 hours. Forecasters warned that some regions, including the Tokyo area, could receive an additional 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rainfall by Thursday morning.

Jangmi made landfall in Wakayama prefecture as a typhoon with winds of around 126 kph (78 mph) before weakening as it moved inland. It was expected to retain tropical-storm strength through much of Wednesday.

Earlier, the storm swept across the southern island of Okinawa, where 15 people sustained minor injuries.