Nearly four million people in southern Japan have been urged to evacuate their areas as Typhoon Shanshan hit the country on Thursday, causing disruptions, destruction, and loss of life.

According to international media, Shanshan is the largest typhoon to hit Japan in decades. Thousands of flights have been canceled, high-speed train services have been suspended, and major companies like Toyota have closed their factories.

Japanese authorities have warned that a “life-threatening situation” is imminent for certain cities in Oita Prefecture on Kyushu island, calling for 57,000 people to prepare. Authorities have issued a level 4 warning, the second-highest, across the Kyushu region, affecting a total of 3.7 million residents.

By Thursday morning, at least one person was reported missing and dozens of others injured, according to local authorities. By Thursday afternoon, three people had lost their lives, and as CNN reported later, another person was found dead. This was an 80-year-old man who was trapped in his home when the roof collapsed.

? El tifón Shanshan avanza hacia Tokio tras dejar tres fallecidos en el suroeste de Japón pic.twitter.com/fDqkYU0cEj

— El Debate (@eldebate_com) August 29, 2024

Typhoon Shanshan has weakened as it slowly moves northward through Kyushu, reaching the equivalent of a category 1 Atlantic hurricane, according to the Typhoon Warning Center. The storm’s center is located about 150 kilometers southeast of Sasebo city, after hitting the mainland with wind speeds of up to 185 km/h.

Footage from the city of Miyazaki, near where the typhoon approached, shows downed power poles and streets filled with tree branches and other debris. Areas in Japan far from the typhoon have also been affected by rainbands accompanying the storm.

??️ | El poderoso tifón #Shanshan tocó tierra este jueves en la isla principal de Kyushu, al suroeste de #Japón, y ha dejado por el momento 3 muertos, 82 heridos y un desaparecido, además de llevar a las autoridades a recomendar la evacuación de millones de personas.

? El… pic.twitter.com/auE4etwosS

— PanAm Post Español (@PanAmPost_es) August 29, 2024

Japan’s Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stated in a press conference on Thursday that “record rainfall is expected” and that authorities are trying to “assess the damage situation and implement emergency response measures.”

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▶ El poderoso tifón Shanshan tocó tierra este jueves en la isla principal… pic.twitter.com/D6G2qPYDkx

— HCH Televisión Digital (@HCHTelevDigital) August 29, 2024

The storm has led to the cancellation of more than 700 flights and the closure of dozens of sections of major highways crossing Kyushu, according to Hayashi. The Kyushu Shinkansen and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed train services have also been suspended. “There are fears that the typhoon’s impact may extend further in the future,” Hayashi said.

Over 255,150 households in Kyushu were without electricity on Thursday morning, according to Kyushu Electric Power.

Automakers Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan are among the major companies that have suspended some operations at their factories located in the storm’s path.

Shanshan is expected to turn eastward and cross Kyushu, weakening to a tropical storm by the end of Thursday.

El Shanshan
Ahora es equivalente a un categoría 1 atlántico. pic.twitter.com/BXHHFq7Drh

— Susana Bos (@yosoysusan) August 29, 2024