Typhoon Meari expected to make landfall in Japan

TOKYO Kyodo is expected to make landfall on Japan's Pacific coast close to Tokyo on Saturday, possibly causing landslides and flooding over the weekend of the Bon summer holiday, the weather agency said Friday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that Typhoon Meari is expected to bring up to 300 millimeters of rainfall for the central Tokai region in the 24 hours through Saturday evening, with 200 mm for the Kanto-Koshin region in east Japan and 100 mm for the northeastern Tohoku region.

All Nippon Airways Co. has canceled 10 flights for Saturday, while the Tokaido Shinkansen and other train services are likely to experience significant delays and changes.

The agency said that the typhoon is expected to have peak gusts of up to 108 kilometers per hour in the Kanto and Tokai regions on Saturday, bringing high waves and choppy seas.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, the typhoon was about 280 km south of Wakayama Prefecture's Cape Shionomisaki, moving north-northeast at 15 kph. It had an atmospheric pressure of 1,002 hectopascals at its centre and was packing winds of up to 90 kph, according to the agency.