Tropical Storm Chan-hom Lashes Tokyo Area, Cuts Power, Then Moves West

Tropical storm Chan-hom swept through the greater Tokyo area late Tuesday, downing trees and cutting electricity to thousands of homes before continuing westward across Japan on Wednesday.

The storm made landfall in southern Ibaraki prefecture — the first such landfall in that region since records began in 1951 — and weakened as it moved inland. By early Wednesday, it was centered near Gifu in central Japan, heading toward Wakasa Bay on the north-central coast, with sustained winds of 64 kilometers per hour (40 mph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Five people sustained minor injuries: two men in Iwate prefecture and three women in Ibaraki. More than 3,000 homes in Ibaraki and neighboring Tochigi prefecture remained without power as of Wednesday morning, TEPCO Power Grid reported.

The storm disrupted travel during Japan's "bon" Buddhist holiday week, when many people visit ancestral homes. About 60 flights at Tokyo's Haneda airport were canceled Tuesday, and Oarai beach in Ibaraki was closed, leaving it empty.

In Tokyo, commuter trains and flights operated normally Wednesday, and business largely resumed. However, the meteorological agency warned of heavy rain and thunderstorms across northern and western Japan through the day.

The storm arrived just days after Typhoon Dolphin caused havoc in southern Japan, paralyzing traffic and forcing hundreds to seek shelter. Dolphin later killed 10 people in the Philippines and triggered flooding in China, displacing hundreds of thousands.