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A man on a bicycle rides past in the heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Miyazaki on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, September 18 2022. Picture: KYODO/REUTERS
A man on a bicycle rides past in the heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Miyazaki on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, September 18 2022. Picture: KYODO/REUTERS

Tokyo — Typhoon Nanmadol hit Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu on Sunday as authorities issued a typhoon warning  and ordered residents to evacuate or seek shelter from the powerful storm.

“The eye of Typhoon Nanmadol” hit near Kagoshima city around 7pm on Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in a brief statement on its website.

Nanmadol is expected to bring up to half a metre of rain. It was classified as a super typhoon by the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center, but weakened as it approached Kyushu.

At least 4-million people in southern Japan were ordered to evacuate as the storm system moved towards the region, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that caused electricity blackouts and paralysed ground and air transportation.

It is the 14th typhoon of the season. The JMA warned of the risk of overflowing rivers.

Railway operators and airlines have cancelled services and convenience store chain 7-Eleven Japan temporarily shut about 950 stores. Toyota Motor said it would idle production at three factories on Monday.

In Kagoshima prefecture, more than 9,000 residents took shelter at evacuation centres on Sunday.

Kyushu Electric Power said more than 93,000 homes across the island are without electricity on Sunday because of damage to power lines and facilities.

The storm is forecast to turn east and pass over Japan’s main island of Honshu before moving out to sea by Wednesday. Heavy rain lashed the capital Tokyo, with the Tozai subway line suspended because of flooding.

Reuters 

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