Japan orders evacuations as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, cancels 500 flights

TOKYO – Hundreds of thousands of people in south-western Japan were ordered to evacuate and more than 500 flights cancelled on Aug 7 as slow-moving Typhoon Dolphin approached the region to bring violent winds, heavy rain and high waves.The Category 1 typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 144kmh with gusts reaching 198kmh and was nearing a chain of islands between the Kyushu region and Okinawa prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.The authorities issued evacuation orders for nearly 260,000 residents in Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, while Toyota suspended work at nine factories on Aug 7.Dolphin was expected to maintain its strength as it approached Okinawa prefecture, raising the risk of winds that could damage or collapse some structures, the authorities warned. A linear rain band – or a narrow band of intense precipitation and thunderstorms – could also develop, possibly triggering flooding, the weather agency said.The large storm was also enveloping much of the southern-most main island of Kyushu with strong winds, including Kumamoto prefecture, still reeling from last week’s 7.1-magnitude earthquake.Some 6,700 Kumamoto residents remain in evacuation centres after many houses collapsed. The weather agency has also warned of heatstroke risks with temperatures expected to reach 36 deg C in some areas. REUTERS