Flights cancelled as typhoon nears Japan's Okinawa
5 Octyober AFP
Powerful Typhoon Fitow is expected to hit Japan's southern island
chain of Okinawa on Saturday, with domestic and international flights to
and from the islands cancelled, officials said.
Japan, Taiwan and China are bracing for the storm, with Japan's
meteorological agency warning of strong winds and heavy rains, as well
as the risk of tornados, just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi wreaked
havoc in the region.
At 10:00 am (0100 GMT), Typhoon Fitow was moving slowly northwest,
about 200 kilometres (124 miles) south of Naha, the capital of Okinawa,
the agency said.
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and its low-cost carrier Peach
Aviation said Saturday that flights to and from Naha had been cancelled
because the approach of the typhoon.
Hong Kong's Dragonair also said its Okinawa flights had been
cancelled.
The typhoon, named after a flower in Micronesia, is expected to
approach Taiwan on Sunday.
Taiwan issued a warning, with the storm predicted to move past the
north of the island.
The Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan said the typhoon had been
upgraded from a tropical storm as it gathered momentum, packing gusts of
137 kilometres per hour.
"Fitow is maintaining its strength and will bring heavy rains to
northern and northeastern Taiwan, especially Taipei and New Taipei
cities. Its impact is expected to be at the strongest on Sunday
morning," the bureau said.
China has also issued a warning over the typhoon, which is set to hit
the country's southeast coastlines late Sunday.
The National Meteorological Centre gave an orange warning -- the
second-highest in a four-tier system -- saying the storm would make
landfall in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian on Sunday, state news
agency Xinhua reported.
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