New Delhi: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a rare “special warning” for the Kagoshima region in southern Kyushu prefecture, reported news agency AFP. This alert is issued only when it forecasts conditions seen once in several decades. Thousands of people were moved to shelters in the southwestern region of the country ahead of the typhoon which prompted authorities to urge nearly three million residents to evacuate.
The meteorological agency warned the region could face "unprecedented" danger from high winds, storm surges and torrential rain.
"Maximum caution is required," Ryuta Kurora, head of the JMA's forecast unit said on Saturday, quoted by the news agency. "It's a very dangerous typhoon." "The wind will be so fierce that some houses might collapse," Kurora told reporters, also warning of flooding and landslides.
As per the government's Fire and Disaster Management Agency 2.9 million residents in Kyushu have been issued with evacuation warnings so far while Kagoshima officials said over 8,500 people were already in local shelters by Sunday morning.
The East Asian country is currently in typhoon season and faces around 20 such storms every year, often seeing heavy rains that trigger landslides or flash floods.
In 2019, Typhoon Hagibis smashed into Japan as it hosted the Rugby World Cup, claiming the lives of more than 100 people.
A year earlier, Typhoon Jebi shut down Kansai Airport in Osaka, killing 14 people.
And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the country's annual rainy season.
As per scientists, severity of storms have been altered due to climate change which is causing extreme weather such as heat waves, droughts, and flash floods making it more frequent and intense.