Typhoon Chaba has receded after hitting parts of Okinawa and Japan's south-western Kyushu Island. With winds up to 134 mph and heavy rains, the storm left thousands without power and led to the cancellation of numerous flights.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre reported at 11:30 am on Wednesday that Cheba is speeding away from Kyushu and Korea's south-east coast through the Tsushima Strait into colder conditions towards the northeast. It is expected to split between the Sasebo and Chinhae naval bases.

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Nevertheless, Chaba still holds typhoon status although destructive winds are no longer occurring and normal schedules are expected to resume today (Wednesday). In view of that, the CFAS has requested everyone to stay indoors until an all-clear notification is announced. 

Chaba escalated into a super storm Monday and hit one of Okinawa's smaller islands, the Kume Island, with gusts up to 134 mph.

On Tuesday, it lashed out at the island of Jeju and Korea's south-east coast leaving around 25,000 households without power.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Security reported, however, that 8,000 of these houses already regained electricity by early Wednesday morning.

After hammering the Okinawa islands, the "most intense typhoon to on record," according to the Okinawa Times, forced the closure of schools and public offices and cancellation of all after-school activities.

Stripes Okinawa reported that repair crews were working tirelessly to assess damage and establish safe zones. So far, they have already evacuated more than 800 people. 

Meanwhile, about 4,000 homes across Okinawa alone lost power because of the severe damage caused to the utility poles following the storm while gusty winds caused the closure of Okinawa's main Naha airport. This resulted in the cancellation of around 200 domestic and international flights thereby stranding thousands of evacuees. 

Tagschina, China Typhoon, Japan typhoon, Typhoon Chaba