Heavy rain, winds lash Tokyo as city braces for worst typhoon in 60 years

A powerful typhoon approached Japan on Friday, threatening to batter its capital with the heaviest rain and winds in 60 years, shutting down stores, factories and subway systems and disrupting a Formula One Grand Prix and rugby’s World Cup. 

Typhoon Hagibis, which means “speed” in the Philippine language Tagalog, is due to make landfall on the main island of Honshu on Saturday, a month after one of the strongest typhoons to hit Japan in recent years destroyed or damaged 30,000 houses and caused extensive power outages.

The storm could be the strongest to hit Tokyo since 1958 and people should also prepare for high waves and storm surges, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

“The typhoon could bring record-level rainfall and winds,” an official at the agency told a news conference. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his cabinet ministers to do their utmost to secure people’s safety.

Officials in the Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, which was hit hard by typhoon Faxai a month ago, have told people to prepare supplies of food and water for up to three days.

Some supermarkets ran out of bottled water and batteries. Twitter users posted photographs of bare shelves and traded tips on how to prepare for disruptions to water and power cuts.

Many of more than 30,000 houses Typhoon Faxai destroyed or damaged in Chiba last month have yet to be repaired. Japanese Grand Prix organisers cancelled all practice and qualifying sessions scheduled for Saturday, adding that the qualifying round would be held on Sunday, before the final race takes place as planned.