Friday, August 30, 2024

Tropical storm Shanshan lashes Japan


Typhoon Shanshan was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall in Japan on Thursday. The storm pounded the southern part of the country with wind and rain.


Storm slowly heads toward Japan's capital, leaving mudslides and broken bridges in its path

Yuri Kageyama
Fri, August 30, 2024
The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Tropical Storm Shanshan slowly made its way northeast through Japan toward the capital Saturday, setting off a mudslide that killed three people, halting trains and leaving underground passages brimming with water.

Meteorological officials warned of torrential rains they compared to a waterfall in major cities like Osaka and Tokyo.

The storm, packing winds of up to 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, crawled over the southwestern island of Shikoku and the main Honshu island at a speed of 10 kph (6 mph), forecast to affect parts of Japan through Sunday and Monday, although its exact route was uncertain, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

At least six deaths were believed to be related to the storm, according to public broadcaster NHK, including a person who was swept by a river, another crushed by a fallen roof, and a man slammed onto the road by a blast of wind in southwestern Japan, as well as the three killed in the mudslide.

A man who went out on a boat was missing and 125 people were injured, according to NHK, which compiled tallies from local governments.

Damage from the heavy rainfall hit a wide area, including more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away from the center of the storm. News footage showed overflooded rivers and cars immersed in muddied waters in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, when the storm was technically still in southwestern Kyushu.

The meteorological agency issued heavy rainfall and mudslide warnings to Aomori, in northeastern Japan, for Saturday evening. The local government of Suginami ward in Tokyo warned residents in risk areas to be ready to evacuate in case of mudslides.

Dozens of flights were canceled and airlines scheduled alternate flights for stranded passengers. In southwestern Japan, the storm left a broken bridge, as well as layers of mud and branches strewn on roads.

Initially categorized a typhoon, the storm made landfall Thursday. It has since weakened, but its slow movement means intense rainfall lasts for long periods in a relatively large area.

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Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press


Tropical storm Shanshan lashes Japan with torrential rains and strong winds on its crawl northeast

Mari Yamaguchi
Thu, August 29, 2024





















TOKYO (AP) — A strong storm lashed southern Japan with torrential rain and strong winds Thursday, causing at least three deaths as it started a crawl up the length of the archipelago and raised concerns of flooding, landslides and extensive damage.

Tropical storm Shanshan made landfall Thursday morning as a powerful typhoon on the southern island of Kyushu and then gradually lost strength, though it was still forecast to bring strong winds, high waves and significant rainfall to most of the country, particularly on Kyushu.

About 60 centimeters (nearly 2 feet) of rain fell in parts of Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu, swelling rivers and threatening floods, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. That 24-hour total was more than the average rainfall for all of August, it said.

By late afternoon Thursday, the storm was moving north at 15 kph (9 mph) and its winds had weakened to 108 kph (67 mph). It is “no longer a powerful typhoon,” the agency said.

As disaster risks in the Kyushu region subsided later Thursday, Shanshan started dumping heavy rain on neighboring Shikoku island.

The storm ripped through downtown Miyazaki city on Kyushu, knocking down trees, throwing cars to the side in parking lots and shattering windows of some buildings. The prefectural disaster management task force said about 50 buildings were damaged.

NHK public television showed a swollen river in the popular hot spring town of Yufu in Oita prefecture, just north of Miyazaki, with muddy water splashing against a bridge.

More than 70 people were injured across Kyushu, mostly in Miyazaki and Kagoshima. Some were injured by being thrown to the ground by the storm on their way to shelters, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

About 168,000 households were without power across Kyushu, most of them in Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu Electric Power Co. said.

About 20,000 people took shelter at municipal community centers, school gymnasiums and other facilities across Kyushu, according to prefectural reports.

Ahead of the storm's arrival, heavy rain triggered a landslide that buried a house in the central city of Gamagori, killing three residents and injuring two others, the city’s disaster management department said. On the southern island of Amami, which Shanshan passed, one person was injured by being knocked down by a wind gust while riding a motorcycle, the fire agency said.

Weather and government officials are concerned about extensive damage as the storm slowly sweeps up the Japanese archipelago to the northeast over the next few days, threatening more floods and landslides.

In the Tokyo region, Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and Osaka were suspended starting Thursday evening due to heavy rain in the central region. Bullet train service also was to be suspended in parts of the western and central regions on Friday.

Disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said Shanshan could cause “unprecedented” levels of violent winds, high waves, storm surges and heavy rain. At a task force meeting on Wednesday, he urged people, especially older adults, not to hesitate and take shelter whenever there is any safety concern.

Hundreds of domestic flights connecting southwestern cities and islands were canceled Thursday, and bullet trains and some local train services were suspended. As the storm headed northeast, similar steps were taken in parts of the main island of Honshu that were experiencing heavy rain. Postal and delivery services were suspended in the Kyushu region, and supermarkets and other stores planned to close.

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press


Shanshan: Millions told to evacuate as Japan hit by one of strongest typhoons

Jacob Phillips
Thu, August 29, 2024

Shanshan: Millions told to evacuate as Japan hit by one of strongest typhoons

Millions of people were ordered to evacuate their homes as Typhoon Shanshan lashed southwest Japan with strong winds and torrential rain, knocking out power, snarling air traffic and forcing major factories to close.

At least three people died as the tropical storm Shanshan made landfall on Thursday morning.

The typhoon hit the southern island of Kyushu and then gradually lost strength, though it was still forecast to bring strong winds, high waves and significant rainfall to most of the country.

Nearly two feet of rain fell in parts of Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu, swelling rivers and threatening floods but by late afternoon on Thursday “it was no longer a powerful typhoon”, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The amount of ran that fell in 24-hours was more than the average rainfall for all of August, it said.

As disaster risks in the Kyushu region subsided on Thursday, Shanshan started dumping heavy rain on neighboring Shikoku island.

The storm ripped through downtown Miyazaki city on Kyushu, knocking down trees, throwing cars to the side in parking lots and shattering windows of some buildings.


Fallen pole following Typhoon Shanshan in Miyazaki, Japan on August 29 (@bakuteman_8910 via REUTERS)

The prefectural disaster management task force said about 50 buildings were damaged.

NHK public television showed a swollen river in the popular hot spring town of Yufu in Oita prefecture, just north of Miyazaki, with muddy water splashing against a bridge.

More than 70 people were injured across Kyushu, mostly in Miyazaki and Kagoshima.

Some were injured by being thrown to the ground by the storm on their way to shelters, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

About 168,000 households were without power across Kyushu, most of them in Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu Electric Power Company said.

About 20,000 people took shelter at municipal community centers, school gymnasiums and other facilities across Kyushu, according to prefectural reports.

Ahead of the storm's arrival, heavy rain triggered a landslide that buried a house in the central city of Gamagori, killing three residents and injuring two others, the city's disaster management department said.

Damaged building following Typhoon Shanshan in Miyazaki, Japan on August 29 (@bakuteman_8910 via REUTERS)

On the southern island of Amami, which Shanshan passed, one person was injured by being knocked down by a wind gust while riding a motorcycle, the fire agency said.

Weather and government officials are concerned about extensive damage as the storm slowly sweeps up the Japanese archipelago to the northeast over the next few days, threatening more floods and landslides.

In the Tokyo region, Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and Osaka were suspended on Thursday evening due to heavy rain in the central region.

Bullet train service also was to be suspended in parts of the western and central regions on Friday.

Disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said Shanshan could cause "unprecedented" levels of violent winds, high waves, storm surges and heavy rain.

At a task force meeting on Wednesday, he urged people, especially older adults, not to hesitate and take shelter whenever there is any safety concern.

Hundreds of domestic flights connecting southwestern cities and islands were cancelled on Thursday, and bullet trains and some local train services were suspended.

As the storm headed northeast, similar steps were taken in parts of the main island of Honshu that were experiencing heavy rain. Postal and delivery services were suspended in the Kyushu region, and supermarkets and other stores planned to close.

Flights, trains canceled as Typhoon Shanshan rolls across Japan

Simon Druker
Fri, August 30, 2024


Hundreds of flights were canceled in Japan Friday, as were trains in several parts of the country which is still sheltering from the deadly Typhoon Shanshan. Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA-EFE

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Hundreds of flights were canceled in Japan Friday, as were trains in several parts of the country which is still sheltering from the deadly Typhoon Shanshan.

A number of major highways and expressways also remained closed across Japan because of the intense wind and rain caused by the tropical cyclone.

Shanshan made landfall Thursday, leading to mudslides and flooding that killed six people and injured at least 100 more.

The typhoon is in the midst of weakening as it moves east across the island nation but forecasters are still calling for heavy rain far from the storm's center as well as strong winds.

Up to 11.8 inches of rain is expected to fall over a 24-hour period through 6 p.m. JST Saturday in several areas around the Shizuoka Prefecture on the island of Honshu. Some areas in southern and southwestern Japan had already seen around 15.5 inches through Friday afternoon.

Japan Airlines announced it would cancel an initial 296 domestic flights Friday. The country's flag carrier, however, added 10 total flights Friday distributed across Haneda, Itami and Nagoya airports.

All Nippon Airways announced the same day it was canceling 385 domestic and international flights through Saturday evening.

Shanshan was located in the prefecture of Ehime on the island of Shikoku and moving east-northeast at 9.3 mph with winds gusting up to 56 mph, according to the latest update from forecasters issued at 6 p.m. JST Friday.

Train service is also severely impacted.

Hundreds of trains have been canceled across the country. Central Japan Railway suspended all high-speed service between Tokyo and Nagoya through Friday.

Only two of the slower Kodama trains are running per hour on the busy route between Nagoya and Osaka.

The railway also warned of further cancellations or delays through next Tuesday.

Other railroads across the country were canceling or heavily reducing service as well.

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