Hundreds of flights canceled and trains halted in Japan as Typhoon Ambi approaches

The seventh typhoon of the year "Ambi" approaching Japan, airlines canceled hundreds of flights, Shinkansen train services on many routes will also be suspended.

Days after Tropical Storm Maria dumped record rainfall, Typhoon Ampil approached the Tokyo area, home to nearly 40 million people, late Thursday before barreling across the Pacific coast on Friday and Saturday, Agence France-Presse reported.

All Japan Airlines canceled about 280 domestic flights at Haneda and Narita airports on Friday, affecting more than 60,000 passengers, while Japan Airlines canceled 191 domestic flights and 26 international flights, affecting about 38,600 passengers. The two airlines urged passengers to check the latest flight information on their websites.

Ambi and Maria before her came as Japan celebrates the "Obon" holiday week, when millions of people return home for the holiday.

At 9 a.m. (8 Singapore time) Thursday, Ambi was 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the remote Pacific island of Father, with gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour.

Ambi, which means tamarind in the Khmer language of Cambodia, is classified as a "strong" typhoon and is expected to head back out into the Pacific on Saturday and Sunday.

"We urge the public to heed evacuation advice and take early steps to seek safety," disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura told a regular briefing.

Taiwan's Central News Agency quoted public broadcaster NHK as saying that two-way trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Nagoya stations would be suspended Friday, while some Shinkansen trains on other routes would also be suspended due to the typhoon.

JR Tokai Company pointed out that in addition to the precautionary suspension between Tokyo station and Nagoya station, the "Hope" train and "light" train between Nagoya station and Shin-Osaka station will be suspended all day. The "Echo" train, which also runs between Nagoya Station and Shin-Osaka Station but stops at each station, runs about two trains per hour in both directions.

JR East announced Thursday that some trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen, Kamikoshi Shinkansen and Yamagata Shinkansen will be suspended as a precautionary measure from around 11 a.m. to the last on Friday, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.