2024-08-29 08:00:26
At least three people have died in southwestern Japan after Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in Kagashima Prefecture. The storm brought with it torrential rains and very strong winds and cut off power to more than a quarter of a million households, Reuters and BTA reported.
Major automakers such as Toyota and Nissan temporarily halted work today at some or all of their factories in Japan because of the storm.
The typhoon, which was rated as “strong” with wind gusts of up to 198 km/h, made landfall near the city of Satsumasendai on the southwestern island of Kyushu this morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Authorities warned the storm could be one of the strongest to hit the region, and authorities issued evacuation orders for millions of residents in several prefectures.
Three people were killed, one is missing, two were seriously injured and five had minor injuries, Japanese Chief Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
“In view of the typhoon moving slowly, it will bring a large amount of rain rather,” he told a regular briefing.
Japanese television broadcast footage of collapsed walls and broken windows on buildings in the southern Kyushu city of Miyazaki, as well as objects strewn on the streets or hanging from power poles.
More than 250,000 households in seven prefectures were without power as of 09:00 this morning (00:00 GMT), Kyushu-based electricity operator Kyushu Electric Power said.
After leaving the island, the storm is expected to approach central and eastern parts of Japan, including the capital Tokyo, in the coming days, the weather service said.
Major automakers such as Toyota and Nissan temporarily halted work today at some or all of their local plants because of the storm.
Air carriers such as ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines announced they were canceling more than 600 domestic flights. Rail connections in many parts of Kyushu are disrupted.
Typhoon Shanshan is hitting Japan after Typhoon Ampil hit Japan earlier this month, which also caused power outages and evacuations.