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Sunday 13 October 2019 - 09:03

14 Dead, Rescues Underway after Typhoon Hagibis Slams Japan

Story Code : 821803
14 Dead, Rescues Underway after Typhoon Hagibis Slams Japan
Typhoon Hagibis, which means "speed" in the Philippine language Tagalog, made landfall on Japan's main island of Honshu on Saturday evening, bursting some river banks and threatening to flood low-lying Tokyo as it coincides with high tide.

The storm, which the government warned could be the strongest to hit Tokyo since 1958, brought record-breaking rainfall in many areas, with a whopping 939.5mm (37 inches) of rain over 24 hours.

Japan's weather agency issued its highest level of disaster warning over the "unprecedented" downpours. At least 80 people were injured, according to Kyodo news, while more than 370,000 homes suffered power outages as a result of the typhoon.

The storm’s “unprecedented” heavy rain triggered deadly landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. The destruction forced Rugby World Cup organizers to cancel a third match though the key Japan-Scotland clash will go ahead.
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