Hundreds of flights grounded as typhoon slams Japan

A man leaves after surfing in Fujisawa, near Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. A strong typhoon made landfall on the Japanese island of Kyushu on Sunday morning as heavy rain has fallen and the wind is also strengthened in the area. AP

A powerful typhoon ripped into southern Japan on Sunday, dumping torrential rain, grounding hundreds of domestic flights and halting train services.

Typhoon Talim made a landfall in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, packing winds of up to 162 kilometers (105 miles) per hour, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

At least 644 domestic flights have been cancelled because of strong winds, according to public broadcaster NHK, while all major regional train services have been suspended, operator JR Kyushu Railway said.

Authorities have issued warnings of rainstorms, high seas, possible landslides and flooding across the southern half of the Japanese archipelago.

The meteorological agency said the typhoon was expected to head northwards, dumping heavy rain across a large area, including Tokyo.

The typhoon had earlier battered the southern Okinawan island chain, dumping the most rain seen over a 24-hour period in 50 years on the city of Miyako, before it hit Kyushu.

Big storms regularly strike Japan, with 22 people killed when Typhoon Lionrock pounded the country last September.

Last month, Typhoon Noru killed two and injured 51.