Typhoon Dujuan: two dead as Japan evacuations urged

Two people were confirmed dead after heavy rain from Typhoon Dujuan triggered landslides near Tokyo, local governments reported according to Japanese media, as more than one million people remained under evacuation advisories early Tuesday.

The deaths were reported in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, near the Japanese capital. The advisories were not mandatory.

Dujuan brushed past Tokyo with torrential rain, flooding and landslides. It brought winds of about 144 kilometres per hour on Monday while it was around 130 kilometres south of Katsuura City near Tokyo. By early Tuesday, the storm had moved away from the coast and was heading northeast out to sea with slightly weaker winds, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

More than 1.6 million residents in and around the capital were urged to evacuate on Monday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Landslide warnings were issued for Tokyo and for Chiba, Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures.

Japan Airlines cancelled 135 flights and All Nippon Airways cancelled 140. Railway operators in Tokyo and neighbouring regions suspended services on some lines, and more than 9,000 households near Tokyo were without power.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had warned that total rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average monthly rainfall for September, creating the risk of record heavy rain. Takuya Hosomi of the agency said rain could continue in warned areas as the typhoon moved north.

Flooding was reported around Kamakura station and in parts of Ichikawa city east of Tokyo. Kamakura Mayor Takashi Matsuo said travelling by car was dangerous because of flooding in various parts of the city.

Dujuan also forced the early closure of the Tokyo Game Show on its final day. A major outdoor music festival and a baseball match scheduled in Chiba were cancelled.