Typhoon Shanshan has made landfall in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency says the storm made landfall near Satsumasendai City at around 8:00 a.m. on Thursday.
The agency has issued emergency warnings for strong winds and high waves in Kagoshima Prefecture, excluding the Amami region, and a storm surge emergency warning for the prefecture’s Satsuma region.
Winds are picking up across Kyushu. Gale-force winds of more than 183 kilometers per hour were observed at Makurazaki City in Kagoshima Prefecture shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Kagoshima City had maximum gusts of nearly 140 kilometers per hour shortly before 5:00 a.m.
Areas across Kyushu, as well as in western and central Japan, are getting heavy rain due to an inflow of warm, moist air.
Bands of heavy rainclouds were generated over northern Miyazaki Prefecture shortly past 3:00 a.m., over Kagoshima’s Satsuma region after 5:00 a.m. and over central and northern Oita Prefecture after 6:30 a.m.
The Meteorological Agency is warning of prolonged downpours in these locations.
People should be on high alert for mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas and swelling rivers.
Western Japan should brace for strong winds through Friday.
Maximum wind speeds of 162 kilometers per hour are forecast for Southern Kyushu on Thursday, 144 kilometers in northern Kyushu, 90 kilometers in Shikoku, 72 kilometers in the Amami region and 65 kilometers in the Chugoku region.
Maximum gusts of 234 kilometers are forecast for southern Kyushu, 198 kilometers in northern Kyushu, 126 kilometers in Shikoku and 108 kilometers in the Chugoku and Amami regions.
Bands of heavy rainclouds could form over southern Kyushu through Friday morning, northern Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture through Friday afternoon and Shikoku through Friday evening. Risks of rain-induced disasters could surge in these areas.
The Meteorological Agency says heavy rain emergency warnings could be issued for Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures.
Areas in eastern and western Japan that are far from the typhoon are also likely to get downpours.
Total rainfall in the 24-hour period through Friday morning, could reach 600 millimeters in southern Kyushu, 400 millimeters in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, 300 millimeters in the Tokai region, 200 millimeters in Kinki and Kanto-Koshin and 120 millimeters in the Chugoku region and the Izu Islands.