Residents of central and eastern Japan are preparing themselves for possibly the most destructive storm in over 60 years.

SCMP reports that the Hagibis, which is the Philippine word for "speed", is expected to hit near Nagoya in central Japan on Oct. 12.

Possibly one of the strongest typhoons since 1958

In Sep. 2019, Typhoon Faxai hit eastern Japan, killing three people and injuring dozens more.

The typhoon also left 930,000 people without power, and it took two weeks for some areas to have electricity restored.

A professor at Nagoya University, Kazuhisa Tsuboki, who specialises in the study of super typhoons, warned that the incoming storm was "significantly stronger" than Faxai.

"When it makes landfall, Hagibis may be one of the strongest to hit Tokyo since 1958, when Typhoon Ida struck Tokyo. That was a serious disaster and more than 1,200 people died," Tsuboki said.

SIA, Scoot flights affected

A number of SIA and Scoot flights have also been affected as airlines prepare for the super typhoon.

According to Scoot's website, a total of 15 flights between Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 will be affected.

Affected destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Kaohsiung and Taipei.

Seven of these flights have been rescheduled, while eight flights are cancelled.

More information on the affected flights can be found on Scoot's website.

Scoot is offering affected customers a full refund of their unused itinerary value in the form of a Scoot travel voucher.

Affected customers may also rebook their flight to a later travel date, up to 14 days from original departure date. The rebooked flights must have the same origin and destination, subject to availability, at no additional charge.

For SIA, six of its flights on Oct. 12 have been retimed, with four flights moved to an earlier time to avoid the super typhoon.

Passengers should refer to SIA's website for more information regarding the change in flight schedules.

F1 practice and qualifying sessions cancelled

The organisers of Japan's F1 Grand Prix have cancelled all practice and qualifying sessions scheduled for Oct. 12, due to the approach of the super typhoon.

Reuters reports that the hour-long qualifying session, which decides the grid order for the race, will now be held on Oct. 13.

The final practice session, which would normally take place before qualifying, will be cancelled.

The circuit would be closed to the public and the media on Oct. 12, but the race itself will go ahead as planned on Oct. 13.

F1's governing body, the FIA, said that it agreed with the decision made by the organisers of the Japan F1 Grand Prix.

"FIA and Formula One support this decision in the interest of safety for the spectators, competitors and everyone at the Suzaka Circuit," it said.

Top image from NASA Earth observatory.