Millions forced to evacuate as Typhoon Shanshan strikes Japan

Millions of people have been ordered to leave their homes after Typhoon Shanshan hit Japan.

The typhoon, which has now been downgraded to a severe tropical storm, has already killed at least three people.

At least a further 94 people have been injured, and nearly 250,000 homes have been left without power.

A dead body was found floating in the sea, but it’s not yet known whether this is the body of a person reported missing earlier today.

Millions have been evacuated over the torrential rain and strong gusts of up to 112mph (180kmph).

The heavy rain and strong gusts have wreaked havoc on the Japanese mainland, causing landslides and roof collapses.

A police car drives amid destruction from Typhoon Shanshan in Miyazaki city (Picture: Tomokichi via REUTERS)

And as Shanshan is currently moving slowly, more heavy rain is on the way with some areas predicted to see more than 700mm of rain.

It’s feared that Shanshan could be one of the strongest to ever hit south west Japan.

More than 700 flights have been cancelled, trains have been suspended, highways have been closed and companies including Nissan, Honda and Toyota have halted production.

Postal and other delivery services have been suspended, with shops including supermarkets closed across Japan.

So far the Tokyo region hasn’t been impacted by the typhoon, but heavy rain is predicted for later this week even as business continues as usual in the capital.

Disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said the typhoon could cause ‘unprecedented’ levels of violent winds, high waves, storm surges and heavy rain, adding that people should ‘not hesitate’ and take shelter if there are any concerns for safety.

Where is the typhoon hitting Japan?

Typhoon Shanshan made landfall at around 8am local time (11pm GMT) after developing off the coast earlier this week.

It first made landfall on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s major islands, before travelling eastwards.

Thousands of homes have been damaged (Picture: AP)

Before making landfall Shanshan was reaching gusts of up to 157mph (252kmph), but by the time it reached the city of Kagoshima top speeds had eased to 123mph.

Heavy winds, rains and destruction have now been reported in cities across Kyushu, from Miyazaki in the south to Fukuoka and Usa in the north of the island/

The typhoon is moving north at about 9mph, heading towards the main island of Honshu, the BBC reports.

How bad is typhoon season in Japan?

Typhoons are fairly common in Japan, with the season peaking in August and September.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency says there are 25 cyclones classed as tropical storms or stronger in the north-west Pacific Ocean in a typical year – and an average of three of those will make landfall in Japan.

Only some of these will be strong enough to be classed as typhoons.

Typhoons are the same as hurricanes, and the only difference is where they originate.

Shanshan is the strongest typhoon recorded in the western Pacific so far this year.

What was the most dangerous typhoon in Japan?

Thousands of homes have been left without power (Picture: @bakuteman_8910 via REUTERS)

The strongest and deadliest typhoon to hit Japan was called Typhoon Vera, or Isewan Typhoon, which made landfall on September 20, 1959.

It was the equivalent of a category 5 storm and saw more than 5,000 people killed.

Almost 39,000 people were injured and 1.6million were displaced.

Vera’s intensity caused catastrophic damage as it moved westward across Japan – a major setback to the country’s economic recovery after World War II.

Rainfall caused by the typhoon brought about flooding well before Vera made landfall, and it caused a storm surge which destroyed numerous flood defence systems.

The inundation caused by the typhoon brought about a number of localised epidemics including of dysentery and tetanus.

Emma Davis