Typhoon Baihaitun Injures Three, Grounds Okinawa Flights
SingTao · 4 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Severe Typhoon Baihaitun swept across Okinawa's main island and Kagoshima's Amami region on Friday, leaving at least three people injured and prompting evacuation instructions for about 258,000 residents in 17 municipalities. The storm shut all flights at four Okinawa airports for the day, with 417 flights cancelled on Friday alone and 691 cancellations over three days expected to affect about 105,000 travellers. Ferry services were also widely suspended, while buses and the Okinawa Urban Monorail halted operations from the first service on Saturday. By Saturday morning, about 15,000 households in Okinawa were still without electricity, mainly in the northern part of the main island
Key Points
- Okinawa prefectural authorities said 34 local administrative units on Okinawa's main island and the Daito Islands had opened shelters as the typhoon approached.
- The injured in Okinawa were reportedly knocked over by strong winds or fell from ladders during the storm, according to local authorities.
- Naha, Miyako, Ishigaki and Shimojishima airports saw all Friday flights cancelled; Naha airport was later set to reopen terminals from 11am Saturday.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of violent gusts, flooding and landslides, with peak instantaneous winds forecast at 55 metres per second in Okinawa and Amami.
- After passing Okinawa, Baihaitun moved across the East China Sea toward Taiwan and was later expected to make landfall along the Zhejiang to northern Fujian coast.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers, the storm shows how quickly regional typhoons can disrupt aviation and ferry networks across nearby holiday destinations, even before approaching the Chinese coast. It also matters because Baihaitun was forecast to continue westward after Okinawa, bringing broader weather and transport risks to Taiwan and then eastern China, both closely linked to Hong Kong travel and business flows.