Japan is grappling with the intense impact of Typhoon Shanshan, which has drenched large parts of the country with unprecedented rainfall and fierce winds. Making landfall in the southwestern region of Kyushu on Thursday, Shanshan is one of the strongest typhoons to hit the area, bringing gusts up to 180 km/h (112 mph) that have overturned moving trucks and caused widespread destruction.
The storm has already resulted in the tragic loss of at least four lives and injured 99 people across Japan, as reported by the disaster management agency. In Kyushu, residents are assessing the extensive damage after a night of heavy rain and severe winds, with around 250,000 households experiencing power outages. While many have had their electricity restored by Friday, the region continues to recover from the storm's onslaught.
Shanshan's slow movement has allowed warm and moist air to circulate around the typhoon, leading to record-breaking rainfall in areas far from the storm's core. Shizuoka, a major city in central Japan, has seen over 500 millimeters of rain in the past 72 hours, the highest since records began in 1976. Evacuation advisories have been issued to more than 3.3 million people nationwide, particularly in Kyushu, Tokyo, and Yokohama, due to the heightened risk of landslides and overflowing rivers.
As the typhoon approaches central and eastern regions, including Tokyo, over the weekend and into early next week, the impact on daily life is expected to intensify. Major industries are feeling the strain, with Toyota suspending operations in all domestic plants through Monday morning. Other automakers like Nissan and Honda, along with semiconductor firms Renesas and Tokyo Electron, and electronics giant Sony, have also halted production at some of their factories.
Transportation has been severely disrupted as well. Airlines, including ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines, have canceled hundreds of domestic and some international flights. Ferry and rail services, including the bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya, were suspended on Friday morning, leaving many travelers stranded.
Typhoon Shanshan follows closely on the heels of Typhoon Ampil, which also caused significant blackouts and evacuations earlier this month. As Japan navigates through these successive storms, the resilience and readiness of communities and infrastructure are being put to the test.
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Typhoon Shanshan drenches Japan, prompting landslide and flood alerts
cgtn.com
