The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said Khanun, described as a "very strong" storm, was moving northwest at 10km/h. Television footage showed strong winds toppling cars in some parking lots. Rain poured down on deserted streets, while trees swayed. Some locations in Okinawa recorded wind gusts of nearly 200km/h on the morning of August 2 and more than 250mm of rain in the past 24 hours, the JMA said.

Strong winds from Typhoon Khanun uprooted trees in Okinawa Prefecture (Japan). Photo: thanhnien.vn

Typhoon Khanun has also begun to affect the power system in Okinawa. The Okinawa Electric Power Company said that due to the storm, about 210 households, or nearly 34% of all households connected to the grid, were without power. Telephone and Internet connections were disrupted in some areas due to the power outage. Many other service providers such as prefectural government offices, post offices, express delivery services, grocery stores, and drug stores were closed.

Meanwhile, Kyushu Electric Power Company said power supply to 10,030 households on Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, north of Okinawa, was also cut.

In Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the airport remained completely closed on August 2. According to NHK television, more than 400 flights were canceled on the morning of August 2, with at least 65,000 passengers affected. The Japanese Ministry of Transport said a total of 951 flights were canceled on August 1 and 2, while 35 ferry routes were suspended.

Japanese media reported one person dead and 11 injured in the storm. Authorities said the victim was a 90-year-old man who was buried under a collapsed garage.

Typhoon Khanun hit during the peak summer tourist season, when Japan was seeing visitor numbers return to pre-Covid-19 levels. Okinawa Prefecture is regularly hit by typhoons, but usually later in the year.

VNA

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