Typhoon Hagibis sets in amid Rugby World Cup cancellations in Japan
Written by News on 12/10/2019
Heavy wind, rain and tornadoes have arrived in Japan, with Typhoon Hagibis setting in amid Rugby World Cup match cancellations.
The conditions have already seen England’s Pool C clash with France in Yokohama and New Zealand’s final Pool B game against Italy called off, with Eddie Jones and his squad returning to Miyazaki where they held their pre-tournament training camp.
A decision will be made at 12am (BST) on Sunday over whether Scotland and World Cup hosts Japan’s crucial Pool A encounter in Yokohama will go ahead.
World Rugby has urged supporters not to travel unless it is “absolutely necessary”, with train and flight services heavily disrupted.
Follow @Japan2019_ENG on Twitter for regular updates for fans at the Rugby World Cup.
Typhoon Hagibis brought heavy rainfall in wide areas of Japan ahead of its landfall, including Shizuoka and Mie prefectures, south-west of Tokyo, as well as Chiba to the north, which had suffered power outages and damaged homes from last month’s typhoon.
About three million people in Japan have been advised to leave their homes as strong winds and rains picked up before the typhoon even arrived.
Hagibis has also triggered warnings of floods and landslides.
An earthquake measuring 5.3, according to the US Geological Survey, shook the areas which had been drenched by rainfall – the earthquake was in the ocean off Chiba, near Tokyo.
A tornado ripped through Chiba on Saturday, overturning a car in the city of Ichihara and killing a man inside.
Heavy rain and strong winds have been pounding Tokyo as the worst typhoon there in six decades approached.
The one that hit the Tokyo region in 1958 left more than 1,200 people dead and half-a-million houses flooded.
Hagibis, which means “speed” in Filipino, was advancing northwestward with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Some 17,000 police and military troops have been called up, standing ready for rescue operations.
(c) Sky Sports 2019: Typhoon Hagibis sets in amid Rugby World Cup cancellations in Japan
