ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

One Million Told To Evacuate As Typhoon Jebi Hits Japan

One Million Told To Evacuate As Typhoon Jebi Hits Japan

Giant waves, heavy rainfall and 135mph winds have shook the country as the Prime Minister urges people to evacuate early

Anonymous

Anonymous

Heavy rainfall, giant waves, and 135mph winds have attacked Japan during Typhoon Jebi - the worst storm to have hit the country in 25 years.

The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged people to 'take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early', according to the Daily Mail.

The fire and disaster management agency said that evacuation advisories were issued for 1.19 million people in western and central Japan with another 16,000 people issued with stronger but non-mandatory evacuation orders.

And the impact of Typhoon Jebi so far has already proven to be disastrous. Dramatic video emerged showing Typhoon Jebi causing the roof of Kyoto train station to smash, causing commuters on the concourse below to sprint for safety as it came crashing down.

The strong winds have apparently been so powerful that a 2,591-tonne tanker was thrown into a bridge. According to the coast guard, the tanker was empty and thankfully none of its crew were injured.

PA
PA

Meanwhile tides in some areas are being reported as the highest since a 1961 typhoon with flooding covering the runways at Kansai International Airport in Osaka.

Images have shown massive waves cascading over sea walls with upturned boats and debris floating in flood water and trucks flipped over on their sides on motorways.

PA

Around 3.9 inches of torrential rain was recorded as having fallen in just one hour within an area of Kyoto. As much as 20 inches of rainfall is set to further drench some areas as the storm continues to rage.

As you might imagine, travel has been strongly affected with more than 700 flights cancelled along with Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Hiroshima.

Forecast track of of Typhoon Jebi.
PA
PA

It's currently typhoon season in Japan which provides an annual tirade of extreme weather. However recent weather extremities have been unprecedented.

A deadly heatwave was followed by a sustained and devastating rainfall in central and western Japan that resulted in the deaths of over 200 people.

The death toll was reportedly so large due to people failing to take evacuation warnings seriously and to make adequate preparations the second that such warnings were issued.

With local media warning that the wind is strong enough to destroy traditional wooden houses and power poles and even large-scale constructs like Universal Studios in Osaka closing for safety, Typhoon Jebi (whose name means 'swallow' in Korean) poses a threat to the largest and smallest of homes and businesses.

Here's hoping all affected Japanese residents are given the necessary measures to protect themselves against the storm and are able to get themselves and loved ones to safety, quickly.

Words by Amy Roberts

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/PA

Topics: World News, News, Japan