Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in Kagoshima prefecture on Thursday, bringing with it strong gusts and heavy rain, disrupting air traffic and cutting power to over a quarter of a million households. The storm is believed to have killed at least three people in southwest Japan.
Due to the storm, major manufacturers such as Nissan (7201.T) and Toyota (7203.T) ceased operations in some or all of their domestic factories.
With gusts as high as 55 meters per second (198 km/h or 123 mph), the typhoon made landfall on Thursday morning close to Satsumasendai city, which is situated on the southwest island of Kyushu in the country, according to the weather service.
Local governments have issued warnings that the storm may be among the strongest to ever hit the area, and authorities have issued evacuation orders for millions of residents in several prefectures.
The storm caused three deaths, one missing person, two serious injuries, and five minor injuries, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
“The total amount of rain could be rather big as this typhoon is moving slowly,” Hayashi stated during a routine press briefing.
In Miyazaki city in southern Kyushu, public broadcaster NHK captured footage of damaged windows, destroyed walls, and objects strewn across the street or suspended from utility poles.
According to Kyushu Electricity Co., as of 9:00 a.m. on Thursday (0000 GMT), more than 250,000 households in seven prefectures were without electricity.
The storm is predicted to approach the central and eastern provinces, including the capital, after lingering over Kyushu for a few days.
Airlines, including ANA Holdings (9202.T), opens new tab, and Japan Airlines (9201.T), opens new tab, have already announced cancellations of more than 600 domestic flights. Train services have been suspended in many areas of Kyushu.
Typhoon Shanshan is the latest harsh weather system to hit Japan, following Typhoon Ampil, which also led to blackouts and evacuations earlier this month.
(Reuters)
