Typhoon Shanshan is approaching Japan targeting the Kyushu region. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued multiple emergency warnings for Kagoshima Prefecture. The storm is expected to bring extreme weather conditions including strong winds, high tides and heavy rainfall.
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As of Wednesday afternoon Typhoon Shanshan was located south of Kyushu moving northward slowly. The storm is characterized by a central pressure of 935 hectopascals with sustained winds of up to 180 kph and gusts reaching 252 kph.
Typhoon Shanshan is predicted to make landfall on Thursday either maintaining or slightly weakening from its current strength.
The JMA has issued an emergency storm warning and an emergency high tide warning excluding the Amami region. The Satsuma region faces an emergency storm surge warning due to the potential for extreme sea level rise.
The island village of Mishima in Kagoshima was placed under a Level 5 emergency warning, the highest alert level affecting 369 people across 202 households.
Parts of Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures including the entire city of Miyazaki with over 400,000 residents received evacuation orders.
Residents were advised to evacuate to safer areas or designated shelters to avoid risks from landslides and flooding.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida directed related authorities to coordinate closely with local governments to ensure the evacuation and safety of residents in affected areas.
The government held an emergency meeting. Satoshi Sugimoto, a JMA official urged the public to heed evacuation orders and take all necessary precautions to protect lives.
These areas are expected to experience sustained winds as strong as 180 kph with rainfall totals possibly reaching 600 mm within 24 hours.
Some locations may receive up to 1,000 mm over the next few days.
Kyushu Electric Power reported over 14,000 homes in Kagoshima Prefecture without electricity due to the storm.
JR Kyushu announced the suspension of shinkansen services between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo stations from Wednesday evening through at least Friday.
Similar suspensions were planned for the line between Kumamoto and Hakata Station in Fukuoka and the entire Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen line.
JR West planned to suspend services on the Sanyo Shinkansen line between Hiroshima and Hakata from Thursday with possible extensions into Saturday.
Over 150 domestic and international flights were canceled by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) due to the storm affecting thousands of passengers.
Sections of the Tomei Expressway and Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures were closed due to heavy rain and flooding.
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Toyota has decided to suspend operations at all 14 of its factories across Japan from Wednesday evening until Thursday morning prioritizing employee safety.
Supermarkets, stores and postal services in the Kyushu region announced early closures or service suspensions in anticipation of the storm.
A landslide in Gamagori trapped five family members with two rescued by early Wednesday evening.
Rescue efforts continue for the remaining individuals. The JMA and local authorities have initiated preemptive measures such as pre-releasing water from 171 dams nationwide to prevent flooding with operations already underway at over 100 sites.
Authorities have advised and ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents across several regions. Southern Kyushu has 12.5 million people with over 800,000 residents being told to evacuate.
The evacuation orders are concentrated in Kagoshima, Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures with local governments warning of extremely high risks of disaster due to the Typhoon Shanshan.
The Typhoon Shanshan is expected to bring violent winds, torrential rains and storm surges to southern Japan. The JMA has predicted as much as 1,100 millimeters of rainfall in southern Kyushu within 48 hours.
A landslide in Gamagori, Aichi prefecture buried a house trapping five people. While three women were rescued, two men remain unaccounted for. Rescuers are working around the clock to locate the missing individuals and prevent loss of life.
The approaching storm has led to disruptions in transportation with airlines and rail operators canceling services. Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings have canceled hundreds of domestic and international flights affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
Kyushu Railway has suspended Shinkansen bullet train services between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chuo and may cancel additional services as the situation evolves.
Authorities have canceled annual earthquake drills to focus all resources on disaster management for the typhoon.
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