Japan Typhoon Shanshan live updates: 800,000 people evacuated as region braces for one of biggest ever storms

Meteorologists are finding the path of Typhoon Shanshan highly unpredictable, with its slow-moving trajectory proving difficult to forecast and raising the prospects that parts of Kyusu could be hit for longer than expected, reports the Japan Times.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency stressed the typhoon’s slow pace at an earlier press conference, but said that southern Kyushu and the Amami Islands will experience extended periods of strong winds until Friday.

The storm is then expected to move to northern Kyushu, and then to the regions of Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kinki, which includes Osaka Prefecture, the outlet reported.

But the storm’s exact path after moving over Kyushu is murky — it appears likely to move towards Honshu, but could also veer into the Sea of Japan or track to the south in the Pacific, according to the Japan Times.

Weather and government officials are concerned about extensive damage across the nation as the typhoon slowly sweeps up the Japanese archipelago over the next few days, threatening floods and landslides and paralyzing transportation, businesses and other daily activity.

Disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura, at a taskforce meeting on Wednesday, said the typhoon could cause “unprecedented” levels of violent winds, high waves, storm surges and heavy rain.

He urged residents in Shanshan’s predicted path to take precautionary measures early, such as by checking their nearest shelters, to save their own lives. Matsumura urged residents, especially older adults, not to hesitate and take shelter whenever there is any safety concern.

Airline group ANA Holdings said it would cancel more than 210 domestic flights in total between Wednesday and Friday slated to leave or arrive in southwestern Japan, affecting about 18,400 passengers.

Japan Airlines said it would cancel 402 domestic flights over the same three-day period. A total of 10 international flights operated by both airlines will also be suspended.

Nearly a million people have been ordered to evacuate their homes as Typhoon Shanshan approaches.

According to the New York Times, some 990,000 people have been impacted by evacuation orders across southern, western and central Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The evacuation orders have been issued in Kagoshima prefecture in southern Kyushu, and central Japan’s Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures.

Numerous companies are halting operations at their factories as they brace for Typhoon Shanshan.

Toyota, which is headquartered in Aichi Prefecture, will suspend operations at all 14 of its plants in Japan from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning, it said.

Nissan said it would suspend operations at its Kyushu plant on Thursday and Friday morning, while Honda will also temporarily close its factory in Kumamoto in southwestern Kyushu.

Also, Mazda Motor plans to suspend operations at its Hiroshima and Hofu plants, both in western Japan, from Thursday evening through Friday, the firm said.

In Aichi Prefecture, one of the areas subject to evacuation orders, two people believed to be residents of a house that collapsed in a landslide during heavy rains were unaccounted for, Reuters reported.

Three residents of the house had been pulled out, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued emergency warnings for storms and high waves in Kagoshima Prefecture, excluding the Amami region, as the typhoon threatens flooding and landslides.

The agency has issued an unprecedented rain forecast of up to 23.6in (600mm) over the next 24 hours.

Japan is on high alert as powerful Typhoon Shanshan edges closer, with high waves and wind prompting flight cancellations, train suspensions, and factory shutdowns.

The storm is expected to hit southern Kyushu on Thursday, with winds reaching up to 155mph (250kph) at its centre, strong enough to topple houses.

On Wednesday, the storm was 70km south-southwest of Yakushima Island, moving slowly northward off the country’s southwest coast, bringing extreme winds and heavy rain.

My colleague Stuti Mishra has more in this report: