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Typhoon makes landfall near Tokyo
 High waves hit a breakwater before an apartment block in Yokosuka. RELATED
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSTOKYO, Japan -- A powerful typhoon has made landfall near Chiba city, east of the Japanese capital Tokyo, on Friday morning, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency. Typhoon Mawar, named for a type of flower in the Malay language, crossed the coast at 4.30 a.m. local time (7.30 p.m. GMT), the JMA said, acccording to Kyodo news agency. The storm brought strong winds, heavy rain and high waves along the coast. While it is starting to abate, there are flood warnings for parts of Japan's main island of Honshu. Kyodo reported two people had been injured. The JMA said that at 8 a.m., the typhoon was about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Tokyo and had winds of up to 108 kilometers per hour (67 mph) at its center. The typhoon has affected air and ferry services, mainly between Tokyo and the Izu island chain, south of Tokyo, as well as road and rail transport. CNN weather anchor Mari Ramos said Friday the typhoon was weakening rapidly. She said the weather would improve and the high winds and sea would begin to abate, but the very heavy rainfalls associated with the typhoon meant there was still a danger of floods and landslides. Kyodo news agency said Mawar was the second typhoon to make landfall on the Japanese archipelago this year. On Thursday, the JMA issued flood warnings for the Tokyo region, and some flights out of Tokyo were cancelled. Waves up to 11 meters (34 feet) high were observed in some areas, officials said. Reuters news agency reported oil refiners were forced to suspend waterborne operations in eastern and central Japan. Nippon Oil halted shipments and unloading of crude oil from tankers at the country's largest refinery. Idemitsu Kosan and Cosmo Oil also halted shipping operations in the area. An average of two to three typhoons hit Japan's main islands each year, but a record 10 made landfall in 2004. 
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