Typhoon Shanshan reached Japan on Thursday around 8:00 a.m. local time near the city of Satsumasendai in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. It then moved north, moving slowly, at a speed of about 15 km/h, Japanese media reported.
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Shanshan hit Japan
At the time of the impact in Kyushu the element was carrying wind gusts reaching 198 km/h. It is still much less than the day before, when gusts reached even 252 km/h. This is the strongest typhoon in this part of the world since the beginning of the year and one of the strongest to hit Japan since 1960.
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Although it weakened significantly by the time it reached the Japanese islands, it caused much destruction and communication disruptions.
At least 40 people were injured in three prefectures: Kagoshima, Kumamoto i MiyazakiOn the night from Wednesday to Thursday, a 60-year-old man fell into the sea in Kagoshima and the Japanese Coast Guard has been searching for him ever since.
The typhoon brought a tornado
In the seaside town itself Miyazaki 26 people were injured after a flood rolled through the town tornado. Residents sustained injuries mainly due to falling torn-off building fragments, including roof tiles or broken glass. A total of damage to 156 properties.
Earlier, heavy rains brought by the approaching typhoon led to mudslide in Gamagori in the central province of Aichi. The mass of earth destroyed a house in which a family of five was staying at the time.
A couple in their 70s and their 30-year-old son died. Two adult daughters survived, although they were injured, AFP reports.
The risk of disaster may increase
After the typhoon hit approximately 254 thousand homes lost access to electricity in a total of seven prefectures in Kyushu – the local Kyushu operator reported Electric Power Co. Transmission lines in Kagoshima and Miyazaki were also affected.
Because the storm system moves very slowly and is constantly accompanied by very heavy downpoursJapanese services consider possible flooding and landslides in the mountainous areas of the island to be a major threat.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that due to heavy rain “the risk of a disaster may increase sharply on Friday in the western part of the country” where the typhoon may move.
Previously, JMA predicted that in parts of Kyushu, a total of more than one meter of water per square meter may fall by Fridaytherefore, a “special warning” of the highest level was issued for storm surges and tidal surges in parts of the Kagoshima region. It also recommended the evacuation of 56,000 residents of the threatened areas.
Closed factories, canceled flights
Due to dangerous weather Toyota closed all of its 14 factories in the area Japan. In turn, the companies suspended work in their own plants in Kyushu. Nissan i Honda.
Japan Airlines and ANA a total of 542 domestic flights were canceled scheduled for Thursday and Friday. In total, disruptions affected a total of 39,100 passengers.
The Shinkansen high-speed train service in Kyushu has also been suspended.
Source: AFP, “The Guardian”, Mainichi.jp
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