Typhoon Haishen hits Japan with high winds and power outages

TOKYO: Typhoon Haishen drew closer to Japan's southern mainland on Sunday (Sep 6), cutting power and prompting authorities to recommend evacuation and warn of potentially record rainfall, unprecedented wind, high tides and large ocean swells.

Authorities urged early evacuation for more than 100,000 households in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa and in Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Nagasaki on Kyushu, Japan's main southern island, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA).

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"This typhoon is headed toward and may potentially make landfall in Kyushu, bringing record rains, winds, waves and high tides," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a meeting with cabinet ministers.

"I am asking that people exercise the utmost caution."

READ: Japan braces for powerful Typhoon Haishen, possible record rainfall

READ: Japan coastguard halts search for crew from capsized cattle ship due to bad weather

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Trees on Yakushima, an island 100km south of Kagoshima city could be seen shaking violently in strong winds and driving rain, in a post on Twitter.

Elderly citizens wearing face masks due to the coronavirus outbreak were gathering at evacuation centres in Kagoshima and other parts of southern Japan, footage on national broadcaster NHK showed.

The typhoon has cut power to almost 30,000 homes in Kagoshima prefecture and more than 3,000 homes in Okinawa, NHK said.

Two injuries have been reported, according to the FDMA, but authorities were advising the highest levels of caution because of the risk of damage from high winds, flooding, and landslides.

The typhoon is forecast to have atmospheric pressure of 945 hectopascals at its centre, and sustained winds of up to 216kmh by Monday, the meteorological agency said.

The typhoon's centre was near Yakushima onRead More – Source