Typhoon Phanfone churns toward Tokyo with heavy wind, rain

Reuters: Typhoon Phanfone, which was downgraded from an earlier status of a super typhoon, is moving northeast at 25 kph (16 mph), after lashing parts of the Kyushu and Okinawa islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Sunday.

About 30 cm (12 inches) of rain and heavy wind are forecast for eastern Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan area. ... Toyota Motor Corp plans to halt production on Monday morning at 12 plants in Japan due to the storm, a company spokesman said.

On Sunday, several airlines, including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines Co, canceled over 150 flights to several southern Japanese cities, broadcaster NHK said. Kyushu Electric Power Co said about 18,500 households were without power late Sunday afternoon.

Nansei Sekiyu, a Japanese refiner wholly owned by Brazil's Petrobras, has suspended marine operations at its 100,000 barrels-per-dayrefinery in Okinawa due to the typhoon, but other operations are unaffected, a company spokesman said....

Typhoon Phanfone on October 5, 2014