Typhoon Shanshan reached Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four large islands, on Thursday morning local time. Warnings at the highest level had been issued for strong winds, high waves, and heavy rainfall.
The storm initially brought wind gusts of up to 70 meters per second and swept through the central parts of Miyazaki City on the island of Kyushu, where trees were uprooted, cars were tossed around in parking lots, and windows were shattered. Nearly a quarter of a million households are without power.
Highest Warning Level
The authorities have issued their highest warning level and urged more than five million people to evacuate, but it is unclear how many have actually done so.
In parts of Miyazaki Prefecture, around 600 millimeters of rain fell in one day, which is more than the usual rainfall in the entire month of August. By the afternoon, the storm had moved north towards the island of Honshu with significantly weaker winds of around 30 meters per second and is no longer considered a typhoon, but a tropical storm, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.
Dozens Injured
According to Japanese TV channel NHK, up to 50 people have been injured in Miyazaki and the nearby city of Kagoshima, while one person is missing.
Across the island, around 20,000 people have sought shelter in local facilities, according to the prefecture.
Even before the typhoon reached Japan's coast, the heavy rain caused a landslide that claimed three lives when a house collapsed in Gamagori City late on Tuesday. Two more people were injured.
