Marques close Japan factories

Satellite images show Typhoon Shanshan hitting south-western Japan. Photos: Japan Meteorological Agency  

South-western Japan is braced for what officials say could be one of the strongest storms to ever hit the region.

Nissan says it planned to suspend operations on August 29 and 30, Honda is temporarily closing its factory in Kumamoto in south-western Kyushu, and Mazda plans to halt work at its Hiroshima and Hofu plants in western Japan over the same timescale.

Toyota is halting production at all 14 of its plants in the country, while thousands of residents in the path of Typhoon Shanshan have been ordered to evacuate.

Airlines and rail operators have cancelled some services for the coming days as the typhoon, categorised as “very strong”, heads towards the main south-western island of Kyushu with gusts of up to 252kph. 

Japan’s meteorological agency has issued an emergency warning saying the typhoon could bring flooding, landslides and winds strong enough to knock down some houses.

“Maximum caution is required given that forecasts are for strong winds, high waves and high tides that haven’t been seen thus far,” says Satoshi Sugimoto, the agency’s chief forecaster.

After striking Kyushu, the storm is expected to approach central and eastern regions, including Tokyo around the weekend, reports Automotive News.

Government authorities have issued evacuation orders for more than 800,000 residents in Kagoshima prefecture in southern Kyushu, and central Japan’s Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures.

In Aichi, home to Toyota’s headquarters, two people believed to be residents of a house that collapsed in a landslide during heavy rains have been unaccounted for. Three people had to be pulled out.

Typhoon Shanshan is the latest harsh weather system to hit Japan following last week’s Typhoon Ampil, which also led to blackouts and evacuations.

ANA Holdings expects to cancel more than 210 domestic flights up to Friday, which are slated to leave or arrive in southwestern Japan. This affects about 18,400 passengers.

Japan Airlines is looking at cancelling some 170 domestic flights on August 29. A total of 10 international flights operated by both airlines will also be suspended.

The Independent, meanwhile, reports the government has now issued evacuation orders for nearly one million people in Shanshan’s path.

Forecasting the typhoon’s path is proving to be a rare challenge for meteorologists. It has been moving particularly slowly and its route is dependent on a number of other weather systems at play in the region.

By early morning on August 29, more than 76,000 buildings were without power in Kyushu. About 66,000 of those outages were reported in the Kagoshima Prefecture, while some 9,000 were in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Photo: Modis imagery from Nasa’s Aqua Satellite, via Wikimedia Commons