Japan cancels 100 flights as twin storms approach

TOKYO: Japanese airlines cancelled on Friday more than 100 flights as two tropical storms barrelled towards the archipelago, with authorities advising evacuations in some areas because of possible flooding and landslides.

Severe tropical storm Mekkhala, downgraded from a typhoon, was packing gusts of up to 144km per hour, according to forecasters, with heavy rain already pounding parts of southern and western Japan.

The weather system was expected to skirt the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku over the weekend and potentially converge with tropical storm Higos which was also swirling further out into the Pacific.

This could result in the atmospheric phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara effect when two storms interact, making forecasting their movements and strengths more difficult.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled 70 and 50 flights, respectively, from and to the southern regions of Okinawa and Kagoshima.

The Kyoto region advised several thousand residents to evacuate, warning of potential landslides.

Both Kyoto and Osaka announced that water levels of the main rivers were rising and vigilance was required for flooding.

Automaker Toyota suspended operations at a plant in Kyushu because of road closures caused by heavy rain, while Nissan also said it planned to halt some production lines, Kyodo News reported.

The Japanese military also cancelled the maiden planned flight of a V-22 Osprey transport aircraft flight to Miyako Island that was part of joint exercises with the United States, Kyodo said.