Typhoon heads for Tokyo
A powerful typhoon knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and cut off air and sea transportation as it headed directly toward Tokyo today, threatening to bring floods and landslides after dumping heavy rains on central Japan.
At least 24 people were reportedly injured.
Typhoon Fitow was just south of Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka with sustained winds of 78 miles per hour this evening, according to the Meteorological Agency.
TV footage showed people struggling to hold on to their umbrellas in Tokyo.
Shizuoka is 94 miles west of Tokyo.
The slow-moving typhoon, at 9mph, was expected to hit Tokyo and its vicinity tonight, bringing up to 16 inches of rain, the agency said.
Warnings were issued for possible landslides and flooding.
Fourteen people have been injured, public broadcaster NHK reported.
More than 20,000 homes were without power in seven prefectures (states) including Tokyo, the broadcaster said.
Fifty-seven houses have been flooded in central Japan, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Hundreds of schools in central Japan plan to close for the day tomorrow, NHK said.
