Typhoon Shanshan , one of the most powerful storms to ever pose a threat to southwestern Japan, led authorities on Wednesday to issue evacuation orders and forced major companies, including Toyota, to shut down factories. With Typhoon Shanshan speeds reaching up to 70 meters per second (252 km/h or 157 mph), the “very strong” typhoon is rapidly approaching Kyushu, the main island in the southwest, prompting airlines and rail operators to cancel some services.
The meteorological agency released an emergency warning, highlighting the potential for severe flooding, landslides, and winds strong enough to destroy buildings. Satoshi Sugimoto, the agency’s chief forecaster, stressed the need for “maximum caution,” warning that the storm could bring record-breaking winds, large waves, and extreme tides.
Authorities ordered over 800,000 people to evacuate in Kagoshima prefecture in southern Kyushu, as well as in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures in central Japan. Heavy rainfall caused a landslide in Aichi, where Toyota’s headquarters is located, leaving two people missing and three others rescued.
Toyota announced a suspension of operations at all 14 of its plants in Japan from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. Similarly, Nissan and Honda will temporarily close their plants in Kyushu and Kumamoto due to the approaching typhoon. Shanshan follows closely on the heels of last week’s Typhoon Ampil, which also resulted in evacuations and widespread power outages across Japan.
