Nearly 29,000 people ordered to evacuate in Japan as typhoon Mirinae looms

Tokyo [Japan], August 8 : Nearly 29,000 people in the Japanese prefecture of Chiba near Tokyo have received evacuation orders due to typhoon Mirinae approaching the country’s eastern coast, national media reported on Sunday.

As of early on Sunday, the tropical storm is southeast of the prefecture and will continue to move northeast at about 25 kilometres per hour (15.5 miles per hour), the NHK broadcaster reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The typhoon’s central atmospheric pressure is 980 hectopascals, with winds reaching 83 kilometres per hour and maximum gusts of up to 126 kilometres per hour near its center.

Meteorologist warns of possible landslides and flooding because rain and thunder in coastal areas of Japan may intensify as the typhoon moves, the broadcaster added. (ANI/Sputnik)