Japan's Typhoon Doksuri kills four, cuts power to thousands of homes

Tokyo - AFP - At least four people were killed near Tokyo and power was cut to more than 45,000 homes today as Typhoon Doksuri passed through, according to Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

Japan’s Meteorological Agency lowered or lifted most of its warnings for heavy rain and landslides, while Typhoon Doksuri continues to move away from the Japanese coast toward the northeast.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that three people were killed in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and one person died in nearby Kanagawa Prefecture, also close to the capital.

The typhoon also caused power outages for more than 45,000 homes in Chiba, according to TEPCO. Additionally, more than 460 residences in the prefecture were damaged, according to authorities.

More than 1.6 million residents of Tokyo and surrounding areas were ordered to evacuate before the typhoon’s arrival, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, while more than 275 flights were canceled.

On Oshima Island, administratively part of Tokyo, a record 832 millimeters of rain was recorded over 48 hours, more than double the usual average for September, according to the National Broadcasting System (NHK).

Japan typically experiences strong typhoons in late summer and early autumn, and scientists indicate that human-induced climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent, intense, and prolonged.