Typhoon Shanshan causes widespread power outages in Japan

Trains and flights were cancelled in Japan as one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in decades pounded cities along its route.

Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in southwestern Japan on Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring more than 100.

Shanshan has now weakened to a tropical storm, still packing winds of 90 km/h (56 mph).

Thousands of people remain without power.

Millions of residents on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu were under a top-level alert on Thursday as the storm approached, with winds of up to 252 km/h.

The typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm after making landfall, but is still moving northeast. Up to 300 mm (12 in) of rainfall is expected in some areas over the next 24 hours.

Residents in the affected areas have been warned of the possibility of landslides, flooding and widespread destruction.

Wherever the Shanshan flood went, traces of destruction were clearly visible. Many buildings were damaged by flying debris, trees were uprooted, and cars were overturned or buried by floods.

Gifu and Mie prefectures were hit by heavy rain on Saturday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency urging people to “watch out for landslides, flooding and river overflowing.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a typhoon sweep across Japan,” one resident of the Japanese capital Tokyo told Reuters.

“The typhoon was supposed to move north from Okinawa. So I didn’t expect it to be like this. I was very surprised.”

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have canceled dozens of domestic flights.

Bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were affected on Saturday and Sunday.

Shinkansen bullet trains were also suspended in the central Japan city of Nagoya, and there were warnings that more trains could be suspended.

Japan issues special typhoon warnings when it encounters extremely strong storms, such as the one issued for Shanshan. The same warning was issued in September 2022 when Typhoon Nanmadol approached Kyushu – the first time such an alert was issued for an area other than Okinawa.

Typhoons in the region are forming closer to the coastline, intensifying faster over land and lasting longer due to climate change, according to a study released last month. (BBC News)