Japan: 400,000 urged to evacuate as typhoon nears
Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan have been warned to leave their homes as an approaching typhoon is bringing heavy rain and fears of landslides and flash flooding. Authorities in the central city of Nagoya on Tuesday advised 400,000 residents to evacuate because of worries that rivers might burst their banks, Jiji Press news agency said.
The evacuation is not compulsory and it is not known how many people have heeded the advice. Typhoon Roke, packing winds of up to 144 kilometres (89 miles) an hour near its centre, was churning towards southwestern Japan at midday Tuesday and on course to hit the main island of Honshu on Wednesday, the weather agency said. (AFP)
