At least three people died after a powerful storm hit southern Japan on Thursday, with millions of people ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights cancelled across the country.
Shanshan made landfall on southwestern Kyushu Island early on Thursday as a typhoon bringing winds gusting up to almost 200km/h. The local authorities had already shut down large parts of the island, warning the storm could be one of the strongest ever to hit the region.
Though it weakened throughout the day into a tropical storm, it continued to bring strong winds, high waves, and very high volumes of rainfall as it moved towards the northeast. The storm’s path is largely tracking the main islands of Japan, meaning it is expected to bring significant disruption to Tokyo over the weekend.
Miyazaki prefecture, part of Kyushu, saw nearly two feet of rain, causing rivers to swell and increasing the risk of floods, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. This total for 24 hours of rainfall was more than the region’s average for all of August.
Forecasters warn that additional heavy rain clouds are likely to form over large parts of Kyushu even after the storm has passed, as well as in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the Shikoku region, on Friday. Some regions could see as much as 1000mm or 39 inches of rainfall in the coming days, they warned.
By late Thursday afternoon, Shanshan was moving north at 15 kmp/h (9mph), with sustained windspeeds reduced to 108kmp/h (67mph).
Dozens of buildings were damaged when Shanshan tore through downtown Miyazaki city, toppling trees, tossing cars, and shattering windows.
Multiple rivers across southern Japan area are under threat from possible flooding amid the historic levels of rainfall. NHK public television showed a swollen river in Yufu, a hot spring town in nearby Oita prefecture, with muddy waters battering a bridge.
At least 50 people were injured across Kyushu, half of them in Miyazaki. Some were hurt on their way to shelters, thrown to the ground by the storm, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Prime minister Fumio Kishida called for urgent action from ministers to prioritise public safety. “Please continue to put people’s safety first and cooperate closely with local authorities to take all possible measures to keep the public informed,” he was quoted as telling his cabinet. The government said a total of more than 5.2 million evacuation orders had been issued as of late on Thursday.
Nearly 250,000 households lost power, most of them in Kagoshima prefecture, reported Kyushu Electric Power Co. Around 20,000 people sought refuge in community centres, school gymnasiums and other facilities across the island.
Before the storm’s landfall heavy rain caused a landslide in Gamagori, a central city, killing three residents and injuring two others, according to the city’s disaster management department. On the southern island of Amami, one person was injured when a wind gust knocked them off a motorcycle.
Officials warned that as Shanshan continues to move northeast, more floods and landslides are possible. In Tokyo, where the storm’s effects had yet to be felt, business continued as usual, though heavy rain was forecast to arrive in the coming days.
Disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura warned that Shanshan could bring “unprecedented” levels of severe weather, urging people, particularly the elderly, to seek shelter if they feel unsafe.
The storm also caused widespread disruption to transportation. Hundreds of domestic flights were cancelled, and bullet trains and local train services were suspended.
Airlines, including ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines, have already announced cancellations of more than 600 domestic flights. At the airport, several people were seen waiting for an update on their flights.
In Kyushu, postal and delivery services were halted, and many supermarkets and stores planned to close.
Typhoon Shanshan is the latest harsh weather system to hit Japan, following Typhoon Ampil, which also led to blackouts and evacuations, earlier this month.