Typhoon Guchol Hits Japan (PHOTOS)

Typhoon Guchol made its way to Japan on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. The typhoon hit land at 5:00 pm local time in southern Japan and is expected to make its way to the northern and eastern parts of the country. Most domestic flights and trains have been cancelled whilst 150,000 people were told to evacuate, according to The Japan Times.

Bloomberg reported that landslide warnings have been issued due to the heavy rains, high waves and strong winds. More than 100 millimeters of rainfall an hour were experienced in Tokyo.

According to AlertNet, the typhoon hit land as a tropical storm with 1-minute maximum sustained winds of around 63 miles per hour, though gusts may have been much higher. Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the typhoon was travelling with a maximum wind velocity of around 100 mph at 10:00 pm local time.

Thirteen people have reportedly been injured and blackouts have affected over 10,000 houses in certain prefectures. Earlier, typhoon Guchol caused heavy rains and floods in the Philippines.

Take a look some crazy typhoon photos in Japan: