Typhoon Shanshan hit Japan’s southwest coast on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
At least three people were killed, millions were evacuated and thousands of homes were left without power. One person was missing, two were seriously injured and five suffered minor injuries from the typhoon, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
“As this typhoon is moving slowly, the total amount of rainfall could be quite significant,” he said.
The typhoon made landfall near the town of Satsumasendai on the southern island of Kyushu around 8:00 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Wednesday), with winds of up to 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour.
The storm moved north near the city of Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture at around 1:45 p.m. (0445 GMT) at about 15 kilometers per hour.
“We urge people living in areas prone to flooding or landslides to evacuate as soon as possible,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a message posted on X.
Authorities said more than 5.2 million people have been advised to evacuate.
The winds tear the walls, break the windows
Authorities issued the highest alert level, evacuating several people and warning of storms, floods and landslides. The winds tore off walls, shattered windows and blew tiles off the roofs of homes. Objects were seen scattered on roads or hanging from poles.
“I have never experienced such strong wind or such a strong tornado in my 31 years of life,” Tomoki Maeda told Reuters news agency.
One person is missing and 39 people were injured in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said: “The risk of a disaster due to heavy rain may rapidly increase in western Japan as Friday approaches.”
“Please exercise maximum vigilance against severe storms, strong waves and high tides in Kagoshima, as well as landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and overflowing rivers in southern Kyushu,” it said.
Torrential rains have been hitting Japan since Tuesday. An elderly couple and their son in his 30s were killed in a landslide in the city of Gamagori in central Aichi Prefecture.
Carmaker Toyota has halted production at its 14 plants in Japan, while Nissan and Honda have also suspended operations at their Kyushu plants. Chipmaker Renesas has also temporarily suspended production at its Kyushu plants.
production stopped at four factories.
ANA, Japan Airlines cancel hundreds of flights due to storm
Japan Airlines canceled 275 domestic flights on Thursday and 13 on Friday. ANA Airlines also canceled 212 domestic flights on Thursday and 42 on Friday.
An official told AFP that about 26 people were injured in the city of Miyazaki, which was also hit by a tornado. None of the casualties were life-threatening. More than 100 buildings were damaged.
More than 200,000 homes were without electricity in Kyushu.
“Our house is fine, but there was a tornado in Miyazaki and there were power outages in some places. It’s worrying,” Aoi Nishimoto, a student from Fukuoka, told AFP news agency.
Earlier this month, Typhoon Ampil hit Japan, causing power outages and affecting hundreds of flights and trains.
tg/wd (AFP, Reuters)
