Hagibis typhoon: one dead, with record rainfall and wind speeds expected

The authorities to issue evacuation orders for over 1.6 million people.  The National Weather Agency provides maximum gusts of 216 kilometers per hour.  High tides before a full moon increase the risk of floods.

Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - It is maximum alert in Japan: the country is preparing for what experts believe could be the strongest typhoon of the last 60 years.  This morning the storm Hagibis claimed its first victim in Chiba prefecture, even before it made ground fall on the archipelago.  Meanwhile, record rains and winds have prompted the authorities to issue evacuation orders for over 1.6 million people.

Ranked by Tokyo as "big and very strong", the typhoon has already forced the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, interrupted the Suzuka Grand Prix and left more than 1,600 flights on the ground.  The Japan Weather Agency (Jma) expects Hagibis to crash into the central or eastern region this evening early, with gusts up to 216 kilometers per hour.

Jma warns that the storm will bring "brutal winds and violent seas".  The expected rainfall, in particular, raises fears because high tides before a full moon increase the risk of floods.  The agency issued warnings of strong winds, high waves, landslides and severe flooding for large areas of Honshu, Japan's largest island.

Every year, about 20 typhoons hit the country every year, although the capital is not usually seriously affected.  Hagibis follows a few weeks after another powerful storm.  Typhoon Faxai hit the area with a similar force, killing two people and causing serious damage to Chiba prefecture.

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