in southern Japan on Thursday, bringing “unprecedented” strong winds, waves, heavy rain and powerful storm surges, Japan’s disaster management agency said.
and dozens more were injured, officials said. Millions of people have been told to evacuate as the powerful storm batters the region.
“Maximum caution is advised as strong winds, high waves and high tides are forecast, which have not occurred so far,” said Satoshi Sugimoto, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Hundreds of thousands of people also faced power outages as the typhoon (tropical cyclones that form over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, while they are called hurricanes in the northern Atlantic and central and eastern North Pacific) brought up to two feet of rain and winds of up to 110 mph (180 km/h) in some areas.
Meteorologists expect Typhoon Shanshan to continue to move over southwestern Japan in the coming days, moving northeast toward the country’s central and eastern regions, including the capital Tokyo, over the weekend.
Who is affected by Typhoon Shanshan?
More than 5 million people, mostly on Kyushu — Japan’s third-largest island, located in the southwestern part of the archipelago — were ordered to evacuate. People in central Japan were also issued evacuation notices after torrential rains triggered a landslide on Wednesday.
About 20,000 people in Kyushu sought shelter in local community centers and school gymnasiums, government reports showed, according to the Associated Press. More than 70 people were reportedly injured by the force of the storm while seeking shelter, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
As of 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, more than 150,000 households in Kyushu were without power, according to an online translation.
What is affected?
Shanshan caused damage in the center of Miyazaki, located on the eastern coast of Kyushu. Strong winds and rain knocked down trees, shattered windows in buildings and threw cars into parking lots.
On Thursday, airlines including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines canceled an estimated 800 flights. Train, bus and ferry services were also suspended in many areas of Kyushu.
Major automakers are also closing their operations due to Typhoon Shanshan.
According to Reuters, Toyota announced that it would suspend operations at all 14 of its plants in Japan from Wednesday to Thursday. Nissan also said it would suspend operations in Kyushu from Thursday to Friday. Honda will also temporarily close its plant in southwestern Kyushu. Mazda will close two plants in western Japan through Friday.
Also on Honshu, Japan’s main island, postal and delivery services were halted and shops were closed.
