Japan issues emergency warning as powerful typhoon Shanshan approaches

Japan issued an emergency warning on Wednesday as powerful typhoon Shanshan approached the southwestern region with heavy rain and strong winds, prompting Toyota Motor 7203.T to suspend operations at all of its domestic plants.

Airlines and rail operators also canceled some services in the following days as the typhoon, classified as “very strong”, had winds of 50 meters per second with gusts of up to 70 meters per second (252 km per hour /157 mph).

“Extreme caution is required as forecasts call for strong winds, large waves and high tides that have not been seen before,” the Japan Meteorological Agency warned.

Typhoon Shanshan headed for Japan threatens transport links

Shanshan is expected to hit the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu in the coming days and approach central and eastern regions, which include the capital Tokyo, around the weekend, the JMA said.

Authorities issued evacuation orders for more than 800,000 residents in Kyushu’s Kagoshima Prefecture and the central prefectures of Aichi and Shizuoka.

In Aichi, where Toyota is headquartered, two people believed to be residents of a house that collapsed in a landslide during heavy rains have not been identified. Three residents of the house were evacuated, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Toyota will suspend operations at all 14 factories in Japan from Wednesday evening until Thursday morning, the statement said.

Typhoon Shanshan is the latest severe weather to hit Japan after last week’s Typhoon Ampil, which also led to power outages and evacuations.

ANA Holdings said it would cancel a total of more than 210 domestic flights between Wednesday and Friday due to depart or arrive in southwestern Japan, affecting about 18,400 passengers.

Japan Airlines said it would cancel 170 domestic flights by Thursday. A total of 10 international flights operated by both airlines will also be suspended.

(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko, Chang-Ran Kim, Maki Shiraki; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

Photo: People walk by a “torii” gate of a shrine as waves hit a coastal area in Miyazaki, western Japan, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, as a typhoon approaches. (Hidetaka Komukai/Kyodo News via AP)

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Catastrophe Natural disasters Japan