Tokyo – AFP
Japanese authorities warned two million people on Saturday to seek shelter before typhoon Nanmadol hits, NHK reported, one of the rare times when the Meteorological Agency issues a “special warning” of this kind.
The authority said Level 4 evacuation instructions, the second highest, were in effect for residents in Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki in the southern Kyushu prefecture. The move comes as the Japan Meteorological Agency issued the highest alert in Kagoshima prefecture, a warning that comes when the agency forecasts weather conditions the country has only seen once in decades.
This is the first special warning related to the typhoon issued outside the Okinawa region since the current system was introduced in 2013.
Hurricane “Nanmadol” leads to winds of 270 km per hour, and Saturday was classified as a “violent” storm, which is the highest level on the authority’s scale.
In the afternoon, it began approaching the remote island of Minami Daito, and the storm is expected to approach or make landfall, Sunday, in the Kagoshima region, south of Kyushu, to head north the next day, before moving towards the main island of Japan.
“There are risks of unprecedented storms, strong waves and record rain,” said Ryota Korura, head of the weather forecast unit at the Japan Meteorological Agency. He added, “It is necessary to exercise extreme caution,” calling on residents to evacuate their homes before the storm’s arrival, warning that “it is a very dangerous hurricane.”
“The winds will be so strong that some houses will collapse,” Korora told reporters, warning of floods and landslides. “Please move to sturdy buildings, before strong winds start to blow, and stay away from windows even inside solid buildings,” he warned in a late-night press conference.
An eviction order (the second level on a five-point scale) has already been issued to the 330,000 people living in Kagoshima, while authorities have urged residents to move to shelters or alternative accommodation before issuing an invitation from the highest level.
Evacuation warnings are not binding in Japan, and the authorities have had difficulties in the past, persuading residents to go to shelters quickly enough. The current season is typhoon season in Japan, which experiences about 20 similar storms annually and heavy rains that cause landslides or floods.
And in 2019, Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan, while it was hosting the Rugby World Cup, and killed more than a hundred people.
A year ago, Typhoon Jebi closed the Kansai Airport in Osaka, killing 14 people.
Floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the annual rainy season in 2018.
Prior to the arrival of Typhoon Nanmadol, flights were canceled at regional airports located in Kagoshima, Miyazaki and Kumamoto, and scientists warn that climate change is causing more storms, temperatures, floods and droughts.