Super typhoon 'Nanmadol' approaches southwest Japan, millions told to evacuate
Over four million people have been ordered to evacuate in the Kyushu region as a super typhoon, named Nanmadol, is set to hit southwest Japan on Sunday, reported national broadcaster NHK. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a rare special warning for Kagoshima prefecture. The rare alert is sounded only when the JMA predicts extraordinary conditions seen once in several decades.
Over 1 lakh people in Kagoshima and Miyazaki were alerted
Winds to reach up to 270 kmph
The typhoon is expected to cause winds to reach up to 270 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall in some areas up to 500 mm within 24 hours. The JMA warned of landslides and flooding as flight and train services were canceled. Among the four islands constituting the main body of Japan, Kyushu is the southernmost of it with a population of 13 million.
Typhoons below 925 hPa pressure haven't hit Japan since 1951
Expected to turn towards Tokyo after landfall
After the landfall, the super typhoon is expected to change its direction to the northeast, heading toward central Japan and Tokyo. The typhoon is said to not lose much strength despite making landfall with risks of unprecedented storms and incessant rainfall. This is the first special alert issued outside of Okinawa Prefecture — a group of smaller, remote islands in the East China Sea.
Various parts of Japan are witnessing extremely heavy rainfall
Could be worse than previous typhoons
The JMA said Nanmadol could be potentially worse than Typhoon Jebi witnessed in 2018 in which 14 people died, and in 2019 Typhoon Hagibis which resulted in a widespread power outage. The weather agency advised people to seek shelter in sturdy buildings as their houses ran the risk of being collapsed. Nanmadol was categorized as Level 5, the highest on Japan's disaster warning scale.
