• Japanese airlines cancel over 100 flights due to approaching storms.
• Residents in Kyoto advised to evacuate amidst flood and landslide warnings.
• Severe Tropical Storm Mekkhala triggers significant disruptions across the archipelago.

Japanese airlines cancelled more than 100 flights as two tropical storms, including Severe Tropical Storm Mekkhala, approached the archipelago, packing gusts of up to 144 km/h (89 mph) according to forecasters. This situation prompted authorities to advise evacuations in several areas due to potential flooding and landslides, particularly in the southern regions of Okinawa and Kagoshima, with Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelling 70 and 50 flights, respectively, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.

In addition to flight cancellations, authorities have reported rising river levels in Kyoto and Osaka, prompting warnings of possible flooding. The Kyoto region has recommended the evacuation of several thousand residents as a precaution against landslides, according to reports from India Times and Channel News Asia.

The convergence of Tropical Storm Mekkhala and Tropical Storm Higos is anticipated to cause the Fujiwhara effect, complicating their forecasted paths and intensities. The storms are expected to affect major areas including densely populated cities like Osaka and Tokyo over the weekend, with heavy rains already reported in parts of southern and western Japan, according to India Times and South China Morning Post.

The severe weather has also impacted the automobile industry, with Toyota suspending operations at a plant in Kyushu due to road closures and Nissan halting some production lines as a precaution. Furthermore, the Japanese military has cancelled the maiden flight of a V-22 Osprey transport aircraft to Miyako Island, part of planned joint exercises with the United States, according to Channel News Asia.