At least six people have died as Typhoon Shanshan slowly moved eastward through Japan on Saturday, unleashing torrential rain across vast areas and prompting landslide and flood warnings hundreds of kilometers from the storm’s center.
Footage aired by the national broadcaster NHK showed homes with roofs partially torn off, while cars navigated flooded roads in the country’s southwestern regions. The storm initially made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday, bringing record-breaking rainfall.
The Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that one person is still missing, and over 100 have been injured. Meanwhile, more than 35,000 homes in southern Kyushu’s Kagoshima prefecture remain without power, according to Kyushu Electric.
As of 12:50 p.m. (0350 GMT), Typhoon Shanshan was centered in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 480 km (300 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday, it continues to generate heavy rain as far as Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture. Winds are still gusting up to 25 meters per second (90 kph, 55 mph).
Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings nationwide, leading to the suspension of air and rail services and the temporary closure of factories.
Although the storm is forecasted to weaken to a tropical depression over the weekend, it is expected to continue bringing heavy rainfall, according to NHK reports.
