TOKYO, August 9 (RIA Novosti) – The number of people who became victims of super typhoon Halong in Japan reached 13, NHK channel said on Saturday.
According to the latest media reports, 230,000 residents in 12 Japanese prefectures, including Kyushu, Kyoto and Osaka, were advised to leave their homes, following the warning, issued by Japan Meteorological Agency. About 4,500 homes are left without power. More than 460 flights were cancelled.
Earlier on Saturday, Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a special warning for Kii Peninsula's southern Mie Prefecture on the Honshu Island. Such warning implies that the natural disaster, which occurs once in dozens of years, is likely to cause heavy damage and casualties.
Halong, which received the 11th category in Japan, is nearing Shikoku Island. The storm was earlier unofficially classified as super typhoon, meaning wind speeds of at least 130 knots (150 miles per hour).
With the central pressure of 950 millibars and the speed of 90 miles per hour (40 meters per second), Halong is expected to approach Shikoku by Saturday night and pass the biggest part of Japan’s territory over the weekend, reaching its northwestern regions by Monday.
Special warning, which envisages the heavy rains and landslides, has earlier been issued for the Shikoku Island, which expects about 700 millimeters of rainfall, Kyushu, and the Kinki region of Japan’s main island Honshu.
