Typhoon Fitow is set to make landfall in Japan as it moves slowly northward in the Pacific Thursday evening toward the Tokyo metropolitan region, having already injured at least four people in coastal areas and disrupted transportation services in Tokyo and surrounding areas, Japanese News Agency Kyodo reported. A 93-year-old woman in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, sustained broken bones in both legs Thursday afternoon after being knocked over strong winds, police said. Three other people also suffered minor injuries in the prefecture, facing the Pacific, including two who were hit when the windscreen of their car was shattered by high waves as they drove along a road by the sea. Airlines canceled more than 200 flights chiefly on domestic routes linking Tokyo's Haneda airport and local cities, affecting more than 41,000 people. The carriers said they may have to cancel some flights depending on the course the typhoon takes and how fast it moves. Shinkansen bullet trains bound for Tokyo were halted Thursday evening. The Japan Railway group operated them between Nagoya and Shinosaka stations. Other train services were also disrupted in eastern and central Japan, while highways were also closed in some sections. The typhoon is anticipated to make landfall on the coast between Shizuoka and Chiba prefecture in the early hours of Friday and move northeast across Japan's main island of Honshu and then toward Hokkaido. Wind velocity may remain strong in the Tokyo metropolitan region in the early morning of Friday, according to meteorologists. In Irozaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, a maximum wind velocity of 196. 56 kilometers per hour was recorded at 5 p. m. Thursday, a record high in the region in September. The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling on residents in the areas concerned to remain vigilant for heavy rain, up to 50-70 millimeters per hour in some areas in the Pacific coastal region from the Tokai region to Hokkaido, and violent winds. As of 7 p. m. , the powerful typhoon was moving northward at 20 kph about 120 km off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture, whipping up winds of 126 kph near its center.
