Millions evacuated as Haishen hits Japan with 112mph winds
● Forecasters fear storm could be one of the worst to batter country
Up to eight million people have been asked to evacuate areas of Japan under threat from an approaching storm that forecasters have warned could be one of the worst to hit the country.
The Japan Me te orological Agency said Haishen was unleashing sustained winds of up to 112mph as it battered Okinawa and the southern Kyushu island of Amami Oshima early yesterday.
Haishen was not only powerful – equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane – but also large in its reach in areas affected, according to the agency..
Haishen, which means “sea god” in Chinese, is the second powerful typhoon to hit Japan in a week.
On Kyushu, the typhoon blew off rooftops and left at least 142,000 homes without power as it edged north into an area vulnerable to flooding and mudslides.
Weather officials warned of heavy rainfall from what could be a record storm. Warnings have been issued, days in advance, for people to be ready to take shelter and stock up on food and water.
Factories, schools and businesses across western Japan have been closed while hundreds of flights and train services have also been cancelled.
Japan’ s weather agency urged residents to exercise their “most serious caution” for possible record rains and high waves along the coast.
Yoshihisa Nakamoto, director of the agency’ s forecast division, said that surging tides may also cause flooding in low areas, particularly around river mouths.
As a result of the storm, millions of people have been advised to move to designated shelters in places such as schools and community centres. But some people have chosen to seek safety in hotels to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading in crowded public shelters.
Japanese authorities issued evacuation orders for more than 2 million people in the affected area, with 5.6 million people issued lower-level advisories, national broadcaster NHK said.
Evacuation orders in Japan are not compulsory, although authorities strongly urge people to follow them.
At an emergency cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned that flooding and landslides were a possibility.
“Maximum caution is needed as record rain, violent winds, high waves and high tides are possible,’ he said.
“I ask the Japanese people, including those who live in high-risk areas for flooding rivers or high tides, to stay informed and take action immediately to ensure their safety.”
Haishen’s course is similar to Typhoon Maysak that lashed southern Japan last week, injuring dozens of people and cutting power to thousands of homes.
The typhoon will move past Kyushu later on and is expected to make landfall today in South Korea.
The Central Disaster and Safety Counter measure Headquarters in South Korea raised the country’ s typhoon warning level to its highest level.
The Korea Forest Service also raised the landslide alert to its highest level.
Its chief, Park C hong-ho, said: “Huge damage is expected as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season.”
Typhoon Haishen is forecast to move close to Busan this morning.
Haishen comes days after Maysak, one of the region’s strongest typhoons in years.
A cargo ship carrying 43 crew members and 5,800 cows from New Zealand capsized off the coast of Japan. Two people were rescued, and one body recovered.
The latest typhoon has forced Japan’ s coast guard to suspend its search for the missing sailors.