Voice 9, International
Desk: As of Thursday morning, NHK reported that two deaths had been confirmed
in the famous vacation destination of Okinawa, which is located 1,600
kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. According to
the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, there were a total of 41 injuries in
the prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima.
According to the Japan
Meteorological Agency, the storm in the East China Sea was moving slowly to the
northwest with gusts of 222 km/h (138 mph). Until Tuesday, it was expected to
shift course and go east toward the nation's mainland, though its exact course was
unknown, according to state broadcaster NHK.
Typhoon Khanun continued to pound southwestern Japan's Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures with heavy rain and strong gusts, increasing the possibility of damage to some 166,000 homes.
On Thursday, August 3,
Taiwan closed shops and schools in the northern areas of the island, including
the capital Taipei, as it prepared for the sluggish Typhoon Khanun. There are
flood and severe wind warnings, and the storm is anticipated to pass through
the island. According to Taiwan's weather agency, Khanun is a typhoon in the
second-strongest category. With maximum winds of 209 km/h, it is steadily
moving towards its northeastern coastlines.
The typhoon knocked out
electricity to more than 200,000 homes on Wednesday morning and killed one man
when it struck power lines in Okinawa, a renowned vacation destination in
Japan.
On Thursday, businesses
and schools will be closed in many northern cities, including New Taipei,
Keelung, Yilan, and the capital Taipei. Additionally, Taiwan's stock and
foreign exchange markets will be closed.
In Taiwan's mountainous central region, a total of up to 0.6 meters of rain have been predicted, while the mountains nearby Taipei are predicted to get just 0.3 meters. Typhoon Khanun is forecast to skim over Taiwan's northern shores late on Thursday before making a sudden turn to the northeast on Friday. Typhoon Khanun is moving across the ocean in a westerly direction at 4 kilometers per hour, according to meteorological officials.
All domestic ferry
routes are halted for Thursday, and over 30 domestic and foreign flights have
been canceled. The central government has established an emergency response
center, and hundreds of soldiers are.
