Typhoon Shanshan struck Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu early Thursday, prompting authorities to advise thousands of people to evacuate and issue the highest warning for winds and storm surges.
The most powerful typhoon of the year hit Japan at about 8 am (2300 GMT on Wednesday) with winds of 252 kilometres (157 miles) per hour, the weather agency said.
Kyushu’s utility operator reported 254,610 homes were already without power.
“Special warnings of violent storms, high waves and high tides are being issued in the Kagoshima region (Kyuhsu),” the Japan Meteorological Office said.
“Please exercise maximum caution for violent storm surges, high waves and high tides in Kagoshima, as well as landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and overflowing rivers in southern Kyushu,” it said.
“Please also note that the risk of disaster may increase rapidly as Friday approaches due to heavy rains in western Japan.”
Heavy rains brought by Shanshan have been falling across large parts of Japan since Tuesday.
Three members of a family were killed when a landslide buried a house in Gamagori city in central Aichi prefecture, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday, citing local government officials.
The dead included a couple in their 70s and their 30-year-old son, while two adult daughters in their 40s were injured, Kyodo reported.
For southern Kyushu, the JMA forecast up to 1,100 mm (43 inches) of heavy rainfall over the 48 hours until Friday morning.
Video aired on public broadcaster NHK TV showed tiles blown off roofs, windows broken and trees fallen.
“The roof of our carport was completely blown off. I wasn’t home when it happened, but my children said they felt the tremor so strongly that they thought there was an earthquake,” a Miyazaki local told NHK.
“I was amazed. It was totally beyond our imagination,” she said.
Auto giant Toyota has suspended production at all of its 14 factories in Japan.
Japan Airlines cancelled 172 domestic flights and six international flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, while ANA cancelled 219 domestic flights and four international flights scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Approximately 25,000 people were affected by the cancellations.
Kyushu Railway said it would suspend some Shinkansen bullet train services between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chuo from Wednesday night and warned of the possibility of further disruptions.
Other operators said trains between Tokyo and Kyushu’s most populous city, Fukuoka, may also be cancelled this week depending on weather conditions.
The incident in Shanshan comes after Typhoon Ampil, which disrupted hundreds of flights and trains this month.
Despite the heavy rainfall, it caused only minor injuries and damage.
Ampil’s arrival came just days after Tropical Storm Maria brought record rainfall to northern regions.
Climate change is causing hurricanes in the region to form closer to coasts, intensify more quickly and stay over land longer, according to a study released last month.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)