Japan orders evacuation for 1.67 million due to 'Haishen'... Evacuation advisory for 5.6 million (Comprehensive)

Approaching Kyushu, Japan from Tonight
Flight Cancellations and Shinkansen Service Suspensions

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] As Typhoon Haishen, the 10th typhoon of the season, approached the southwestern region of Japan on the 6th, evacuation orders were issued to more than 1.6 million residents across six prefectures in Kyushu.

According to local media, as of 5:30 PM on the same day, approximately 800,000 households and 1.67 million people in Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Oita, and Saga prefectures were ordered by local governments to immediately evacuate from dangerous areas. The "evacuation advisory" was issued to about 2.54 million households and 5.6 million people across 10 prefectures including Ehime, Tokushima, Fukuoka, and Kochi.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that Haishen would significantly approach Kyushu from late afternoon through the 7th, raising concerns about record-breaking storms, waves, and heavy rain never experienced before, urging the highest level of caution. According to the agency, as of 2 PM on the day, Haishen was moving north-northwest at 30 km/h in the sea 140 km south-southwest of Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture. The central pressure was 935 hPa, 15 hPa higher than at 5 AM the same day, and its movement speed increased by about 10 km/h. Although the typhoon's strength weakened somewhat, the maximum sustained wind speed at the center still reached 45 m/s, with instantaneous maximum wind speeds up to 65 m/s. The maximum daily rainfall is expected to be 600 mm in southern Kyushu and 500 mm in northern Kyushu.

Some areas in Japan have already experienced power outages and flight cancellations. As of 4 PM, 38,270 households in Kagoshima Prefecture and 1,270 households in Okinawa Prefecture were without power as of 5 PM. Due to Haishen's approach, domestic flight cancellations increased, with about 557 flights canceled mainly departing from airports in Okinawa and southern Kyushu on the day. The Sanyo Shinkansen operating in the Kyushu region decided to suspend operations between Hiroshima Station and Hakata Station starting from the first train on the 7th, when Haishen is expected to make landfall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.