Two Million Japanese Evacuated as Typhoon Mekkhala Hits, 200 Flights Cancelled

Japanese authorities ordered more than two million people to evacuate and issued flood and landslide warnings as Typhoon Mekkhala was expected to strike the country on Friday (26/6) local time. At least 200 flights were cancelled due to the typhoon. Typhoon Mekkhala, which brought heavy rain and strong winds, first hit Taiwan, paralysing some activities on the island and leaving around six million people unable to work or attend school. Mekkhala, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, is moving towards the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan after earlier lashing Taiwan and bringing heavy rain to the country’s southern regions, such as Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Pingtung. According to weather forecasts, Mekkhala brought wind gusts of up to 144 kilometres per hour, along with heavy rain and strong winds that drenched parts of southern and western Japan. Local authorities warned of the risk of landslides, flooding, and overflowing rivers. Japanese authorities ordered the evacuation of 2.2 million residents in the country’s southern and western regions. Japan’s Ministry of Land announced that more than 200 flights had been cancelled, dozens of train services suspended, and many expressways closed due to Typhoon Mekkhala. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled 200 and 50 flights respectively to and from Okinawa and Kagoshima. The measures were taken following warnings from the local meteorological agency about a stationary seasonal rain front being fed by warm, moist air, triggering high rainfall, particularly in western Japan. Reports indicated that Typhoon Mekkhala could potentially meet Tropical Storm Higos, which is also moving in the Pacific further away. This could trigger an atmospheric phenomenon known as the Fujiwara effect, where two storms interact, making it more difficult to predict their movement and strength.