Typhoon Shanshan Strikes Japan’s Kyushu, Triggering Rare Special Warning

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that Typhoon Shanshan made landfall on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on Thursday morning, bringing with it heavy rain and powerful winds, Kyodo News reported.

A rare special typhoon warning has been issued for most parts of Kagoshima Prefecture, as per the weather agency, with public transport operators cancelling trains and flights. The storm was heading in a northerly direction.

According to the prefectural governments of Kagoshima and Miyazaki, at least nine people were hurt as of Wednesday.

In central Japan, bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Shizuoka and Kakegawa were suspended on Wednesday night due to heavy rainfall. In nearby Aichi Prefecture, the city office of Gamagori confirmed that three people had died and two others were injured after a landslide hit their house, Kyodo News reported.

A day before, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had asked authorities to provide timely and accurate information regarding evacuation, heavy rain, rainstorms, river conditions, etc., with the approach of Typhoon Shanshan.

In a statement, the Japanese PM had asked authorities to work closely with local governments and take all possible measures, such as support for evacuation.

The instructions given by the Japanese PM read, “Provide citizens with timely and accurate information regarding evacuation, heavy rain, rainstorms, river conditions, etc.”

“Work closely with local governments and take all possible precautions, such as support for evacuation, to ensure that residents can evacuate in areas likely to be hit by flooding, landslides, and other disasters due to the approaching typhoon,” he added.

He also asked the authorities to promptly assess the status of damage and ensure that the government as a whole makes every effort to implement disaster emergency measures in case of any damage incurred by the typhoon.