Typhoon Chan-Hom Makes Landfall In Eastern Japan's Ibaraki

TOKYO, Aug 11 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Typhoon Chan-hom made landfall in the eastern Japan prefecture of Ibaraki on Tuesday night, the weather agency said, urging caution against violent winds, high waves and heavy rain, reported Xinhua.

Chan-hom, travelling in an unusual direction from east to west, was the first typhoon to make landfall in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, since records began in 1951, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The year's 15th typhoon is expected to reach western Japan and weaken into a tropical depression by early Wednesday afternoon, the JMA said.

Weather officials forecast up to 180 millimetres of rain in the Kanto-Koshin region, 150 millimetres in the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, 120 millimetres in the central Tokai region and 80 millimetres in the western Kinki region in the 24 hours through 6 pm local time on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, citing data released by energy company TEPCO, that more than 19,000 households in Japan's Kanto region had been left without power due to Typhoon Chan-hom.

As of 13:43 GMT, 17,830 households in Ibaraki Prefecture were experiencing power outages, along with another 1,150 households in Tochigi Prefecture, about 300 households in Gunma Prefecture and 160 in Chiba Prefecture, it said.

-- BERNAMA-AGENCIES