A tropical storm made landfall on Wednesday in northern Japan, the meteorological agency reported, although initially no damage was reported and the Olympic soccer games scheduled for the area were held.
Authorities issued non-mandatory evacuation orders and set up emergency shelters when Tropical Storm Nepartak made landfall in the Miyagi region of northern Japan in the morning.
The storm passed through the south of the city of Morioka, in Iwate prefecture, with strong winds of 90 km per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Miyagi is host to soccer matches scheduled for this Wednesday, among the few Olympic Games events that can receive fans, and organizers said they will not be affected by the cyclone.
Heavy rains prompted some Iwate towns to issue slip alerts, and some local train routes were suspended, but bullet trains were not.
The storm is expected to weaken as it moves north-west and out into the Sea of Japan in the early evening.
The approach of the cyclone brought winds and rain to the east coast of Japan on Tuesday, making conditions difficult for the women’s triathlon in Tokyo.
The event started 15 minutes late due to bad weather and several athletes slipped through the wet streets on the bike part.
Organizers rescheduled some rowing and archery events in Tokyo due to strong winds, but conditions were conducive for surfing competitions in Chiba, east of Tokyo.
Typhoon season in Japan runs from May to October, with its most intense phase in August and September.
In 2019, Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan when it was hosting the Rugby World Cup, killing more than 100 people.
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