Powerful typhoon makes landfall in Southwestern Japan

Powerful Typhoon Shanshan made landfall on Japan’s main island of Kyushu, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) urged residents in affected areas to remain on high alert for natural disasters, Japan’s (Kyodo) News Agency reported.

Japan prepared Wednesday for its strongest typhoon of the year, with authorities advising tens of thousands of people to evacuate and issuing the highest warning level for wind and storm surges on the main southern island of Kyushu.

In a related context, the JMA predicted 1,100 mm that the rainfall level would reach 1,100 millimeters by Friday morning and issued its highest “special warning” for violent storms, waves, and high tides in parts of the Kagoshima region in Kyushu, with authorities there advising 56,000 people to evacuate.

Shanshan comes in the wake of Typhoon Ampil, which disrupted hundreds of flights and trains this month after Tropical Storm Maria.

Typhoons in the region have been forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change, according to a study released last month