Typhoon Shanshan Paralyzes Japan with Torrential Rain and Gusts

Typhoon Shanshan has brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Japan, leading to extensive flooding and landslide warnings. Transport services were disrupted, and factories, including Toyota, shut down operations. The typhoon, following Typhoon Ampil, has killed at least three and injured 78, with over 125,000 households losing power.

Typhoon Shanshan brought torrential rain across large parts of Japan on Friday, leading to severe flooding and landslide warnings far from the storm's core. Many transport services ground to a halt and factories closed, paralyzing the nation.

In Kyushu, one of the hardest-hit regions, residents braced for what authorities labeled one of the strongest storms to hit the area. Streets in Fukuoka city were eerily quiet, with shops shuttered and residents hunkered down. Motoki Tanimura, a 39-year-old manufacturing company employee, expressed uncertainty about returning home to Osaka due to the unpredictable storm path.

At least three people have died, and 78 have been injured, according to the disaster management agency. The typhoon, packing gusts strong enough to blow over trucks, left around 125,000 households without power in Kyushu. Heavy rains extended far from the typhoon's main body, sparking evacuation warnings for millions, even in areas as distant as Yokohama.

Industry impact was significant, with Toyota halting operations at all domestic plants and other firms like Nissan, Honda, Renesas, Tokyo Electron, and Rohm also pausing production. Air and ground transport services faced large-scale disruptions, with hundreds of flights canceled and many train, bus, and ferry services in Kyushu halted according to the transport ministry.

Typhoon Shanshan follows Typhoon Ampil, which earlier prompted blackouts and evacuations. As the storm advances, the entire nation remains on high alert.

(With inputs from agencies.)