Kyodo News via AP
TOKYO — On Sunday, a strong typhoon made landfall in southern Japan, pummeling the area with strong winds and heavy rain. This led to blackouts, the suspension of ground and air travel, and the evacuation of thousands of people.
Typhoon Nanmadol, which made landfall in Kagoshima city on the southernmost main island of Japan, Kyushu, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, was moving north. It was expected to make landfall in Tokyo on Tuesday with maximum winds of 162 km/h (101 mph).
By Monday evening, the weather agency expected up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) of rain and issued flood and landslide warnings. Additionally, it warned locals to evacuate as soon as possible due to “unprecedented” levels of strong winds and waves.
In Kagoshima, residents were advised to stay inside stable buildings on the second floor or higher if it was deemed to be a safer option than going to evacuation centres. Storm and high wave warnings were in effect there.
More than 12,000 individuals sought refuge in evacuation hubs. Around 8,000 residents of the nearby Miyazaki prefecture left their homes.
Local authorities reported that several people had been hurt. When winds broke windows at a gym in Kushima city, Miyazaki, a woman was slightly hurt by glass shards. Citing its own count, NHK national television reported that 15 people had been hurt.
As the typhoon moved north, more power lines and infrastructure were damaged, causing power outages to spread throughout the Kyushu region. According to Kyushu Electric Power Co., 216,450 homes were without electricity as of Sunday night.
A pachinko pinball parlour in Kanoya city, Kagoshima, had part of its glass wall broken, as seen on NHK television footage. According to NHK, an elderly woman fell somewhere else in the prefecture and received a minor injury.
According to Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, hundreds of domestic flights have been cancelled in western Japan and more are expected to be grounded through Tuesday as the typhoon moves toward the northeast.
In many Kyushu island locations, public transportation, including trains and buses, was suspended all day Sunday. On Kyushu Island, bullet trains have also been suspended, according to railway operators, and more stops are anticipated in more locations on Monday.
