The Japan Meteorological Agency advised residents to evacuate some parts of the southern island of Kyushu on Saturday in anticipation of a huge and severe typhoon that is expected to make landfall on Sunday and drop up to half a metre (20 inches) of rain. Nanmadol, which the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US Navy has classified as a super typhoon, has the potential to be the deadliest tropical storm to strike Japan in decades.
Japan’s weather agency has stated that it may issue a ‘special warning’ for Kagoshima prefecture and other portions of Kyushu, the country’s southernmost main island, as early as Saturday evening due to the possibility of powerful waves and heavy rains in the area. It would be the first such alert for any prefecture north of the Okinawa island group, according to local media.
During a news conference that was carried on television, JMA official Ryuta Kurora warned inhabitants to leave the area before it becomes dark owing to the prospect of ‘unprecedented’ storms and rainfall. The agency forecasted that central Tokai might receive 300 millimetres of rain on Sunday, while southern Kyushu could receive 500 millimetres. Kyushu Railway Co. began halting numerous train routes on Saturday before more broad suspensions on Sunday. Numerous weekend flights in the south have reportedly been cancelled, according to broadcaster NHK.
The 14th typhoon of the season, Nanmadol, made landfall in southern Japan’s Minami-Daito Island on Saturday afternoon while heading northwest at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour (12 miles per hour). The JMA reports that winds are blowing at 198 km/h (123 mph) and can reach 270 kph in the storm’s centre. The storm, which is roughly the same size as an Atlantic Ocean class 5 hurricane, is anticipated to veer eastward and pass over Tokyo on Tuesday before dissipating into the water by Wednesday. The southern island chain of Japan’s Okinawa was being pummeled by rain and strong winds as the storm drew closer, as seen on domestic television.
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