Tropical storm Jangmi batters Japan, cuts power to 60,000 homes

Severe tropical storm Jangmi ripped across Japan on Wednesday (Jun 3) morning, with fierce winds and torrential rain disrupting transport and businesses, and knocking out power for tens of thousands of homes.



The storm's centre lay off the central, main island of Honshu, tracking northeast towards the greater Tokyo region with maximum sustained winds of up to 25m per second, Japan's Meteorological Agency said, adding that some areas along the Pacific coast are at an increasing risk of "life-threatening disasters".



The storm, with a central pressure of 980 hPa, has cut power to nearly 60,000 households so far, government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said during a regular press briefing.



"If you sense any danger, please do not hesitate to take early action to protect your lives," Kihara said.



Evacuation advisories were issued to hundreds of thousands of residents in eight prefectures across southwestern, central and eastern Japan.



Airlines including Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways had cancelled nearly 900 international and domestic services on Wednesday morning.



Singapore Airlines (SIA) also rescheduled 14 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the storm.