Satellite Imagery Captured Typhoon Shanshan Moving Northeast Japan, Wreaks Devastation

On Tuesday, 29 August, a powerful Typhoon, Shanshan, hit Southwestern Japan with heavy rain and very strong winds. More than a dozen million houses are left without a power supply, and many people get injured.

Typhoon Shanshan Slams Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued emergency warnings for most of Kyushu Island and parts of central Japan, advising millions of residents to evacuate the area. The storm was forecast to weaken as it approached Japan’s central and eastern regions, including Osaka and Kyoto, on 31 August and 1 September.

The typhoon, categorised as “strong” with gusts of up to 60 metres per second (134 mph), made landfall near Satsumasendai City, located on the country’s southwestern island of Kyushu.

According to University of Tokyo climate scientist Hisashi Nakamura, the typhoon intensified between 25 and 27 August, fueled by unusually warm water in the Philippine Sea. During that time, sea surface temperatures were around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Authorities warned the storm could be one of the strongest ever to hit the region, and local governments have issued evacuation orders for millions of residents in several prefectures.

Flights between Osaka and Singapore were cancelled for due to weather conditions caused by the typhoon, according to news reports.

As for 30 August, at least three people have been killed and 78 injured in storm-related incidents in recent days, according to the disaster management agency.