Typhoon Ampil Lashes Eastern Japan, Forcing Evacuations

Typhoon Ampil neared eastern Japan with strong winds on Friday and dumped heavy rain on the greater Tokyo area, flooding some streets, forcing evacuations and causing widespread disruptions to businesses and travel.

The Japanese authorities have warned that the storm could bring violent wind, high waves and the risk of landslides. Ampil had maximum sustained winds of 132 miles per hour on Friday morning, similar in strength to a Category 4 hurricane, the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.

Rain began falling in parts of the greater Tokyo area early Friday. By around noon, the storm had flooded roads and felled trees in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, according to the local news media.

Ampil’s most powerful winds and heaviest rain were expected to reach Japan by Friday evening, though the storm was not expected to make landfall, forecasters said.

Up to eight inches of rain were forecast in the Tokyo area and the Izu Islands, south of the capital, for the 24-hour period starting Friday morning, the Japan Meterological Agency said.

Wind speeds of up to 56 m.p.h. were forecast in the Tokyo area, forecasters warned.

The agency on Friday issued flood, heavy rain and high wave warnings for the Izu Islands and areas around Tokyo, including Chiba, Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures. Some of those warnings were expected to last into Saturday.

The city of Mobara, east of Tokyo, issued evacuation orders on Thursday for residents in areas prone to landslides and floods, citing the possibility of damage from the typhoon. The city also suspended its municipal buses on Friday.

Ampil has also disrupted Japan’s delivery system. Japan Post and Yamato Transport suspended operations in several prefectures. Sagawa Express said