General News

Typhoon Shanshan Brings Devastating Rainfall, Halts Transportation Across Japan; Casualties Include 6 Dead, 127 Injured, 1 Missing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:18 JST, August 31, 2024

Typhoon Shanshan crossed Shikoku on Saturday and approached the Kii Peninsula. Warm and humid air flowed into both western and eastern Japan, resulting in continued heavy rainfall. According to data collected by The Yomiuri Shimbun, as of 9 a.m. on Saturday, the number of injured people had reached 127, mainly in Kyushu.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, as of 9 a.m. on Saturday, the typhoon was located about 50 kilometers south-southwest of Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, and was moving east-southeast at 15 kph. Its central pressure was 996 hectopascals, with maximum wind speeds reaching 18 meters per second.

In the 48 hours leading up to Saturday morning, rainfall exceeded 400 millimeters in some areas of Kyushu, Shikoku, Tokai and Kanto regions. The 24-hour rainfall forecast until 6 a.m. on Sunday predicts 300 millimeters in Tokai, 200 millimeters in Kinki and 150 millimeters in the Kanto-Koshin region.

Although the typhoon is expected to subside to a tropical depression by Monday morning, the heavy rain is expected to continue. Precipitation for the 24-hour period to 6 a.m. on Monday is predicted to reach 400 millimeters in Tokai. The JMA has called for extreme caution in case of river flooding and landslides.

Additionally, the Tokaido Shinkansen suspended operations between Tokyo and Nagoya from the first train on Saturday morning. Services between Tokyo and Mishima resumed around noon, but the segment between Mishima and Nagoya remained suspended for the entire day. Trains between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka ran at a reduced frequency of about two trains per hour in each direction.

As of 9 a.m. on Saturday, six people had died due to the typhoon in Aichi, Tokushima, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, with one person missing in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun tally.