TOKYO: A strong typhoon made landfall on one of Japan’s main islands Sunday after high winds and heavy rain caused the cancellation of scores of domestic flights in the country’s southwest island chain.
Typhoon Halola, packing gusts up to 108 kilometres (67 miles) per hour, landed near Sasebo on the western island of Kyushu at around 7:00 pm (1000 GMT), the meteorological agency said.
The agency warned of strong winds and high waves in the region although the storm was expected to lose strength by early Monday.
The typhoon was moving northeast along the Japanese archipelago at a speed of 35 kilometres per hour, the agency said.
On Saturday the typhoon forced Japan’s All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines to cancel more than 70 flights in Okinawa and its neighbouring islands, affecting some 15,000 passengers, local media reported.
There have been no reports of injuries or damage to houses due to the storm. --AFP