Japan orders evacuations as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, cancels 500 flights

TOKYO: Hundreds of thousands of people in southwestern Japan were ordered to evacuate and more than 500 flights were cancelled on Friday (Aug 7) as slow-moving Typhoon Dolphin approached the region to bring violent winds, heavy rain and high waves.The Category 1 typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 144 kph with gusts reaching 198 kph and was nearing a chain of islands between the Kyushu region and Okinawa prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.Authorities issued evacuation orders for nearly 260,000 residents in Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, while Toyota suspended work at nine factories on Friday.Dolphin was expected to maintain its strength as it approached Okinawa prefecture, raising the risk of winds that could damage or collapse some structures, authorities warned