A slow-moving storm that passed close to Japan's main island of Honshu cut off power to tens of thousands of homes, forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the evacuation of 240,000 people.

Typhoon Lan made landfall early Tuesday on the southern edge of Wakayama prefecture, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, bringing heavy rain and strong winds across a wide swath of central and western Japan as it headed north.

Over 560 flights, largely departing and arriving in western Japan, were canceled by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, affecting over 50,000 passengers.

After the storm cut off rail and road connections, 650 people were forced to spend the night at Kansai airport, located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

The facility operator provided sleeping bags and drinks to those stranded at the airport, where many individuals had to spend the night.

Authorities issued flood and landslide warnings as rivers swelled to the tops of their banks, washing away pieces of bridges. Tornadoes formed in numerous locations but did not inflict significant damage.

By evening, the storm's center, which had diminished to tropical storm strength, was getting close to the Sea of Japan, but forecasters cautioned that concentrated rainfall might still fall over a large area.

It continued to move slowly, at around 15 kilometers an hour (9.3 mph), raising the potential for flooding as rain pelted the same areas for a long time. Parts of central Japan recorded 585mm (23 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to 7:00 p.m. (1000 GMT).

Major shinkansen stations such as JR Shin-Osaka Station, which would usually be packed with holidaymakers during the annual Bon summer holidays, were mostly deserted.

All bullet train services between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka stations and those between Shin-Osaka and Okayama stations were canceled by Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. on Tuesday.

Universal Studios Japan's popular theme park in Osaka closed Tuesday and four summer high school baseball championship games were canceled at Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture near Osaka and were rescheduled for Wednesday.

Authorities claimed they had established evacuation centers in secure structures and on high ground for citizens in 11 prefectures who had been advised to take refuge by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

(With input from Reuters)

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