Japan has been hit by a strong typhoon called Shanshan, which has caused extensive damage and three confirmed deaths. The storm hit Kyushu Island's Kagoshima prefecture at approximately 8:00 local time (23:00 GMT). A rare "special warning" for extreme weather conditions, including landslides, flooding, and significant damage, has been issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). On the island, winds as high as 252 km/h (157 mph) have been recorded.
The fatalities include two adults in their 70s and a man in his 30s whose Gamagori home was destroyed before the typhoon made impact. Following an all-night recovery operation, the couple's two remaining family members, both women in their forties, were rescued. According to local estimates, the Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures have seen at least 39 casualties in all.
In some parts of Kyushu, heavy rainfall of up to 600 mm in a single day is expected, affecting approximately 12.5 million people. Nearly 255,000 houses have lost power as a result of the hurricane. Severe weather has battered the island, uprooting trees, destroying houses, and dispersing debris with strong winds and rain.
Major automakers like Nissan and Toyota have closed their factories in reaction to the storm, and hundreds of flights have been canceled. Services on high-speed trains have also been discontinued. As a precaution, local officials issued evacuation recommendations to 56,000 people in Kagoshima and around 810,000 people in Shizuoka prefecture.
Shanshan is expected to travel during the weekend into central and eastern Japan, including Tokyo, according to the JMA. Typhoon Nanmadol last used the special typhoon warning system in September 2022. This warning system is designated for very strong storms. Typhoons like this one are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity in the area as a result of climate change.
