TOKYO, July 28, 2018 (News Wires) — Heavy rain fell on parts of Japan and airlines canceled flights on Saturday as an approaching typhoon threatened to dump more rain on a region devastated by floods and landslides earlier this month. Typhoon Jongdari was heading west along Japan's Pacific coast and was expected to make landfall in central Japan overnight. It had maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour) with gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph). Many flights were delayed or canceled at Narita and Haneda, the two main airports serving Tokyo. Most of the cancellations were domestic, though some international travelers were stranded. The storm brought intermittent heavy rain and windy conditions to Tokyo and a wide swath of the surrounding area. After making landfall, it is forecast to continue west, where residents were bracing for more rain in an area still recovering from unusually heavy rains that killed more than 200 people in early July. Authorities issued evacuation advisories ahead of the storm, warning of possible landslides and river flooding. Meanwhile, landslides in northern Thailand, triggered by days of heavy downpours, killed seven people yesterday and left one missing, an official said. All of the victims lived in the mountainous district of Bo Kluea in Nan province, where the landslides have also caused damage to houses and roads, Prasit Dussadeewong, a district security official, told Reuters. "It's because of nearly two weeks of heavy rains. We've warned people of such landslides but did not expect they would be this big," he said. Landslides and flooding in Thailand usually occur during the May-November rainy season. Widespread floods in 2011 killed more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry and dented economic growth.
