Tokyo Swept Away..

Tokyo directly in the path of Typhoon No. 9

09/07/2007 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

The season's ninth typhoon looked set to slam into the Tokyo metropolitan area early this morning, after dumping torrential rains on its journey north that cut power to hundreds of homes.

Heavy rains and strong winds were expected to cause major transportation headaches.

It would be the first time in two years for a typhoon to strike the capital area directly.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned people to be alert to the possibility of flooding and landslides caused by relentless rain.

The slow-moving typhoon was expected to head north after causing swollen rivers to burst their banks in northern and western areas of the Kanto region.

As of 7 p.m. Thursday, the typhoon was generating maximum 198 kph winds near its center with an atmospheric pressure of 965 hectopascals.

Strong wind gusts were logged within a 170-km radius of its center.

The metropolitan area and the Tokai region registered winds of 54 kph Thursday as the typhoon advanced northward from waters south of Hachijojima island.

The agency forecast the typhoon would make landfall in the Kanto region in the wee hours of this morning and then pick up speed as it heads toward the Tohoku region and Hokkaido on Saturday and Sunday.

Agency officials forecast torrential rains of up to 50-70 millimeters per hour in some locations in the Kanto region from late Thursday through early this morning.

One official likened the situation to "rain falling like a waterfall where an umbrella does not help one bit."

The agency cautioned people against driving motor vehicles or walking outside while the typhoon was expected to generate wind gusts of more than 72 kph in places.

Officials said the heavy rain would likely spill into basements and underground shopping arcades in the capital. It urged people to evacuate from areas that are particularly vulnerable to mudslides.

Annaka in Gunma Prefecture had a record 294 mm of rain during the previous 24 hours.

Gale-force winds caused a temporary power blackout to 462 households in Tokyo's Chofu on Thursday morning.

By this evening, the typhoon was forecast to bring rains up to 400 mm in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions, 350 mm on the Pacific side of Tohoku, 300 mm in the Tohoku region facing the Sea of Japan and 150 mm in the Izu island chain.(IHT/Asahi: September 7,2007)