Japan: nearly three million people called to evacuate as a typhoon approaches

Published on: 09/18/2022 – 06:53 Southwestern Japan under threat from a powerful typhoon. Baptized Nanmadol, considered very dangerous” by the authorities, it was the subject of a special warning from the Japanese weather agency. Nearly three million people in the Kyoshou region have received an evacuation order. Japan is preparing for the passage of Typhoon Nanmadol. The meteorological phenomenon is considered very dangerous” by the authorities. The storm is expected to make landfall on Sunday south of the archipelago, then move north the next day before heading towards the main island of Japan. Thousands of people took refuge in shelters on Sunday in the south-west of the country. Authorities have recommended nearly three million residents evacuate. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has warned that the region could face “unprecedented” danger from high winds, raging waves and torrential rains. The agency issued a “special warning” for the department of Kagoshima, in the south of the large island of Kyushu, to warn residents of the high risk of severe weather. “The utmost caution is required,” said Ryuta Kurora, head of the JMA’s forecasting unit, on Saturday. “It’s a very dangerous typhoon.” “The wind will be so strong that some houses could collapse,” Kurora told reporters, also warning of floods and landslides. Thousands of homes without power As of Sunday morning, 25,680 homes in Kagoshima and neighboring Miyazaki Prefecture were already without power, while regional rail services, flights and ferry crossings were canceled, according to utilities and local transport services. So far, 2.9 million Kyushu residents have received urgent evacuation recommendations, according to the government’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, and Kagoshima Prefecture officials said more than 8,500 people had already taken refuge in shelters on Sunday morning. “Don’t go near windows” “Please get to strong buildings before the high winds start blowing and don’t go near windows, even inside strong buildings,” said the chief of the JMA forecasting unit at an overnight press conference. On Sunday morning, high-speed train traffic in the region was suspended, along with regional train lines, and state broadcaster NHK reported that at least 510 flights had been cancelled. On Sunday morning, the typhoon was 80 km southeast of the small Japanese island of Yakushima and the wind was blowing at 252 km / h. It is expected to make landfall in Kyushu, further north, on Sunday evening before turning northeast and sweeping Japan’s main island of Honshu through Wednesday morning. With AFP