Typhoon Kanun kills two in Japan's Okinawa, injures at least 62 (updated)

Okinawa Electric Power

03/08/2023 06:43

(Adds quotes, details throughout story)
    By Elaine Lies and Satoshi Sugiyama
       TOKYO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Typhoon Khanun pounded Japan's
southwestern Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures with heavy rain
and gusty winds for a second straight day on Thursday, leaving
two dead and moving so slowly its damaging impact could be
prolonged.
    Khanun, which means "jackfruit" in Thai, was heading slowly
northwest in the East China Sea as of early afternoon, with
sustained winds of 162 kph (100 mph) and gusts of up to 234 kph
(145 mph), the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding that
they no longer forecast it to directly hit China.
        An elderly woman in Okinawa died when her house
apparently caught fire because she was using candles since the
power had failed, NHK public television said. The other fatality
was a man in his 90s crushed when a garage collapsed.
    At least 62 people in Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures were
injured, NHK added.
        With power lines down, roughly 166,000 households in
Okinawa, a tropical island chain some 1,600 km (1,000 miles)
southwest of Japan's capital Tokyo, had lost electricity as of
Thursday morning, Okinawa Electric Power said - roughly 25% of
the total, but down from Wednesday.
        Naha Airport, located in Okinawa's capital city and the
main gateway to the popular tourist destination, resumed
operations on Thursday after shutting down for two days. Still,
304 flights were cancelled, the transport ministry said. 
    The storm is predicted to make a sudden, sharp turn to the
east on Friday and start heading for Japan's main islands - a
situation that a JMA official said was unusual. 
    "Turning to the east isn't that odd, but turning so suddenly
and sharply is," he said, declining to give his name in
accordance with agency policy. 
        "When storms move gradually to the east, they also trend
northwards as well, meaning they weaken since the air and
surface water temperatures go down. But staying to the south -
as this one may do - makes it easier to maintain its strength."
    He added that it was far too early to predict whether the
Japanese capital of Tokyo might be affected, but that the
smallest main island of Shikoku might be.
    Despite record-breaking heat in Japan, which saw its hottest
July since record-keeping began in 1898, sea water temperatures
are so far normal, he said.
    Power supply was down for about 6,550 households in the
Amami islands in Kagoshima prefecture, north of Okinawa, as of 9
a.m. (0000 GMT), according to Kyushu Electric Power  9508.T .
The tropical Amami chain is also likely to suffer prolonged
rain.  
    Typhoon Khanun forced schools and businesses to shut in
northern Taiwan on Thursday, with nearly 40 international
flights being cancelled. The JMA official said the storm's
impact there would depend on when it began turning to the east.

 (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Sonali Paul)
 ((Satoshi.Sugiyama@thomsonreuters.com))