Japan on high alert. Powerful Typhoon Nanmadol lashed the country’s southwestern coast on Sunday, as authorities advised millions of people to take shelter from strong winds and torrential rain. The typhoon was gusting up to 234 km/h and had already dumped up to 500mm of rain in less than 24 hours in parts of the large island of Kyushu.
The JMA issued a “special warning” for Kagoshima and Mizayaki prefectures in southern Kyushu, where at least 20,000 people were preparing to spend the night in shelters.
7 million Japanese urged to take refuge
State broadcaster NHK, which collects information from local authorities, said more than seven million people had been urged to go to shelters or take shelter in sturdy buildings.
“Please stay away from dangerous places and evacuate if you feel any danger,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tweeted after calling a cabinet meeting. “It will be dangerous to evacuate at night. Get safe while it’s still light,” he added.
“Rains of an intensity never seen before”
The JMA warned that the region could face “unprecedented” danger from strong winds, raging waves and torrential rains.
“The areas affected by the storm are receiving rains of an intensity never seen before,” said Hiro Kato, director of the Meteorological Monitoring and Warning Center.
“Especially in areas under a landslide alert, it is very likely that some type of landslide is already happening,” he added.
On Sunday, nearly 200,000 homes were already without power in the affected departments, while regional rail services, flights and ferry crossings were cancelled, according to public companies and local transport companies.
“A Very Dangerous Typhoon”
“The utmost caution is required,” Ryuta Kurora, head of the JMA’s forecasting unit, said on Saturday. “It’s a very dangerous typhoon.” “The wind will be so strong that some houses could collapse,” he told reporters, also warning of flooding and landslides.
Typhoon season peaks from August to September in Japan, where it is characterized by heavy rains that can cause flash flooding and deadly landslides. Scientists estimate that climate change is increasing the intensity of these storms and extreme weather events.
Source: BFM TV
