Wider Tokyo area braces for travel chaos as typhoon approaches

TOKYO - 8 September 2019: The Tokyo metropolitan area on Sunday braced for a powerful typhoon that is expected to cause significant travel disruption affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters at the start of the week, Kyodo news agency reported.

The weather agency warned that central and eastern Japan including Tokyo could see record winds as Typhoon Faxai approaches, forcing airlines to cancel a number of flights and some major roads to be closed.

The weather agency warned of mudslides and flooding after heavy rain, as well as high waves, in the country's central and eastern regions.

In the 24 hours through noon Monday, the typhoon is forecast to bring between 200 and 300 millimeters of rainfall to central and eastern Japan.

Central Japan Railway Co. reduced bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka after 3 p.m. and moved up the schedule for the end of operations on Sunday.

Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. canceled many domestic flights departing from and arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport.

Some domestic flights departing from Haneda on Monday morning are also expected to be canceled.