Typhoon Nanmadol: Strong Winds, Heavy Rain Lash Japan’s Southwestern Kyushu Island

By Staff, Agencies

Typhoon Nanmadol pounded southwestern Japan with heavy rain and strong winds, forcing the cancellation of air and train services, leaving some 300,000 homes without power and injuring dozens.

The storm – Japan’s 14th typhoon of the season – is now moving east along Japan’s main island towards the cities of Osaka and Kyoto. and is expected to reach the capital Tokyo on Tuesday.

Nanmadol was packing sustained winds of 108 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 162km per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Tens of thousands of people spent the night in sports centers and other facilities as a precautionary measure, amid warnings of floods and landslides.

In a Sunday meeting with ministers and senior officials in charge of responding to the typhoon, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered the officials “to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of the people with a sense of urgency.”

More than 60 people have been injured in the wild weather, including some who fell over in the rain or were hit by shards of glass, according to Japanese media reports.

The storm left behind flooded streets, smashed signboards, and broken windows. Fields were also inundated.

The trade ministry said about 340,000 households, most of them in Kyushu, were without electricity as of early Monday morning.

As the storm moves northeast up to 400 millimeters of rain is expected in the central Tokai region, the nation’s industrial heartland, over the next 24 hours, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.

A flooding advisory is in place for Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture.

“We need to remain highly vigilant for heavy rains, gales, high waves and storm surges,” an agency official said at a news conference.