Japan facing second typhoon as Vongfong approaches
A super typhoon that currently has winds of more than 150 mph could make landfall in Japan this weekend, making it the second storm to head for the country in recent days.
Typhoon Vongfong on Tuesday was about 750 miles southeast of Okinawa, Japan, and moving toward the country, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Vongfong’s sustained winds of more than 150 mph make it a super typhoon, one of just five this year.
As the typhoon passed the Mariana Islands on Sunday it brought intense flooding and mudslides.
But despite the current intensity of Vongfong, officials with the Typhoon Warning Center expect the storm to weaken over the next 48 hours as it approaches Japan.
The country is already recovering from Typhoon Phanfone which brought high winds and rain to several cities on Monday and left one U.S. airman dead after he was swept out to sea near Kadena Air Base. It was also a super typhoon before it hit land.
Authorities called on 2 million people to evacuate from areas around the city of Hamamatsu as the Phanfone made landfall, according according to Kyodo News Service.
More than 600 flights were canceled at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and high-speed rail travel between the city and Osaka was suspended Monday.
Follow @kurtisalee and email kurtis.lee@latimes.com
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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