Typhoon Khanun, which was in the waters between China and Japan’s southwestern islands, is expected to slow to a near standstill before a weakening high-pressure system nearby allows it to turn east on Friday, the Meteorological Agency said. from Japan.
That would mean it would miss China, where rain from a previous typhoon this week caused deadly flooding and damage in the capital Beijing.
Khanun had sustained winds of 100 mph (162 km/h), gusting even stronger, Thursday morning. It is expected to dump about 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) of rain on the Okinawa region by noon on Friday, the agency added.
The meteor has caused 41 injuries, three of them seriously, according to the Okinawa prefectural government. A 90-year-old man was found dead under a collapsed garage in the town of Ogimi and it is being investigated whether his death was caused by the strong winds of the typhoon.
Khanun left some 200,000 homes, or about 30% of Okinawa’s, without power, according to the island’s electricity provider, Okinawa Electric Power Company. About 7,000 households on Amami, an island northeast of Okinawa that is part of Kagoshima prefecture, were in the same situation, the Ministry of Economy and Industry said.
Most of those affected were still without power Thursday as the storm hampered repairs. The hospitals that lost electricity only attended emergencies.
Warnings for strong winds on the main island of Okinawa were lifted on Thursday and public transportation, which had been suspended by the storm, was back on track. Naha airport is expected to resume its flights later in the day.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
