- Typhoon Nanmadol is one of the most powerful storms to hit Japan in modern memory.
- Hinders transit and causes at least one fatality
- 340,000 households are still without power.
Typhoon Nanmadol pummeled parts of Japan on Monday with violent winds and record-breaking rains, making it one of the worst storms to hit the country in recent years. The storm also disrupted transportation and forced numerous factories to shut down.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida postponed his journey to New York until Tuesday, when he is expected to appear at the United Nations General Assembly.
A spokesperson from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) emphasised at a press conference that “we must remain highly vigilant for torrential rains, gales, high waves, and storm surges.”
The 14th typhoon to slam Japan this season made landfall late Sunday near Kagoshima City before inflicting devastation on Kyushu’s western island and roaring towards Honshu’s main island.
Images from Kyushu’s Miyazaki prefecture’s national broadcaster NHK indicated that a river overflowed, flooding adjacent fields and streets. Other footage show building roofs being ripped off, billboards falling, and a riverside mansion dangling over a creek.
According to NHK, a man was killed when the automobile he was driving was drowned in a flooded river, and firemen were working to determine whether a man in his 40s was inside a landslide-buried residence.
According to NHK, at least 69 people were injured.
The commerce ministry announced early Monday that over 340,000 houses, the most of which were in Kyushu, lacked electricity. Kyushu Railway Co. also declared that operations on the island had been halted. According to public broadcaster NHK, Japan Airline Co. Ltd. and ANA Holdings also cancelled over 800 flights.
According to the JMA, the storm was centred over Yamaguchi Prefecture on the westernmost section of Honshu at 2:00 GMT and was heading northeast along the north coast at a pace of roughly 15 kph.
The storm is expected to track the Honshu coast to the north through Tuesday before dispersing over the Pacific, according to the forecasting organisation.
Although there was little damage to industry, Toyota Motor Corp. was among the companies that said they would cease operations at multiple locations due to the storm.
Heavy rains battered Tokyo on occasion, but the city’s companies mainly went about their business as normal.
The bulk of schools were already closed for a public holiday on Monday.
