TOKYO: More than 180,000 residents in a western Japanese city were urged to seek shelter on Tuesday (Aug 15) as a tropical storm hit, swelling rivers and triggering landslide warnings.
Downgraded from a typhoon, Lan roared in from the Pacific at around 5am (8pm GMT), soaking and buffeting the commercial hubs of Osaka and Kobe with strong winds as it rumbled northwards.
Tottori city, which faces the Sea of Japan, issued its top-level evacuation warning to around 182,000 residents late in the afternoon, as the weather agency warned of “unprecedented” heavy rain in the region.
“Lives are in danger. The residents are in a situation where immediate personal security is ensured,” Satoshi Sugimoto from the Japan Meteorological Agency told reporters.
Sugimoto urged people in the region to seek shelter on higher ground due to the risk of flooding.