Japan: Typhoon Shanshan Wreaks Havoc, 3 Dead So Far, Massive Power Outage
Japan: Typhoon Shanshan brought heavy rains with about 800 millimetres of rainfall in just 48 hours with more rains predicted on Friday triggering landslides.
Typhoon Shanshan made its landfall in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima in Japan on Thursday. The typhoon, classified as a "very strong" typhoon made the landfall in the city of Satsumasendai at around 8 am, said the weather officials.
Shanshan brought heavy rains with about 800 millimetres of rainfall in just 48 hours with more rains predicted on Friday in Kyushu, Yamaguchi Prefecture and the Shikoku region, reported NHK.
Considering incessant rainfall, a landslide alert has also been issued for parts of Kyushu, Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, and Shizuoka Prefecture in the Tokai region.
Three members of a family died while two others were injured in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture when a landslide hit their house after heavy rain brought by the typhoon, reported Kyodo. 40 people sustained injuries while a man in his 60s went missing after falling overboard in Kagoshima, according to the Japan Coast Guard.
As many as 254,610 houses were already without power, said Kyushu's utility operator.
The typhoon disrupted transportation services in the country with Central Japan Railway saying it will halt bullet train services on the line that links Tokyo and Osaka.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled several domestic flights in the region.
Later on Thursday at around 1 pm, the typhoon was moving at 15 kph near the city of Minamishimabara in Nagasaki Prefecture, with a central pressure reading of 970 hectopascals and maximum sustained wind speeds of 126 kph and gusts reaching up to 180 kph, reported Japan Times.
The Japan Meteorological Agency which earlier issued the highest level of warning downgraded the storm and high wave warning.
Meteorologists are, however, finding the typhoon's path to be highly unpredictable with its trajectory proving difficult to forecast.
The typhoon is unique in that it's powerful and slow fueled by a high sea surface temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius in southern Japan.
A low-pressure system where an extremely cold pool of air is formed at a high altitude, referred to as cold-core low has been attributed as one of the factors for the typhoon's unpredictability.
A high-pressure system with a trough of atmospheric pressure is also making it difficult for weather scientists to track the typhoon's trajectory.
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