Typhoon paralyzes Japan – Five million told to evacuate

Typhoon Shanshan moved over southern Japan early Thursday morning local time. Warnings of rain, strong winds and high waves were issued at the highest level. On the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, winds of up to 70 meters per second were reported.

Later on Thursday, the cyclone weakened slightly, but record rainfall is expected in several provinces in the coming days.

The majority is more than Five million people have been asked to evacuate on the island of Kyushu, but also in several places in central Japan people are being asked to leave their homes, write BBC.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the typhoon is expected to continue moving across the country, reaching the capital Tokyo over the weekend or early next week. However, it is expected to weaken significantly before then.

Three people were killed on Tuesday in a landslide caused by heavy rains before the typhoon hit. A fourth person was confirmed dead on Thursday after a house roof collapsed. At least 90 others were injured, the BBC reported.

Several hundred thousand homes are said to have been left without power. Hundreds of flights to and from southern Japan have been grounded, and companies such as Toyota and Nissan have closed factories, citing worker safety.