Around 166,000 households in Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures in southwestern Japan experienced a power outage on Thursday morning (August 3, 2022) due to Typhoon Khanun, which was moving slowly and continued to bring heavy rain and strong winds, extending the potential damage.
The typhoon in the East China Sea was heading northwest at a slow speed, with wind gusts reaching 222 km per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Typhoon Khanun was projected to change direction and move eastward towards the country’s mainland until Tuesday, but its exact path could not be determined, as reported by the public broadcaster NHK.
Two people were reported killed in Okinawa, a popular tourist destination located approximately 1,600 km southwest of Japan’s capital, Tokyo, on Thursday morning, according to NHK. Additionally, 41 people in Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures were reported injured, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Naha Airport, located in the capital of Okinawa and a major gateway to popular tourist destinations, resumed operations on Thursday after being closed for two days. However, 304 flights were canceled, as stated by the Japanese Ministry of Transport.
Local utility Okinawa Electric Power Co. reported that 160,040 households, or about a quarter of all covered households, experienced power outages at 10:36 local time (01:36 GMT), according to its website.
Furthermore, power supply was cut off for approximately 6,550 households on Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, north of Okinawa, at 9 a.m., according to Kyushu Electric Power.
