(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Packing winds strong enough to wreck homes, the massive storm Typhoon Shanshan has forced authorities to issue emergency warnings as it is gradually moving northward off Japan’s southwest coast.
The storm’s center is expected to have maximum sustained winds reaching about 180 kilometers per hour.
Weather experts predict Shanshan will keep its strength as it nears Kyushu by Thursday, potentially making landfall afterward.
In turn, Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued emergency warnings for storms and high waves in Kagoshima Prefecture, except for the Amami region. There was also a storm surge warning for the Satsuma area in Kagoshima Prefecture.
As of 7 p.m., Japan’s local time, the powerful typhoon was creeping northward over waters 40 kilometers west of Yakushima Island.
Gusts up to 152 kilometers per hour were recorded in Yakushima town around 3 p.m., and Kagoshima City saw winds of 104 kilometers per hour around 5 p.m. the same day.
In addition, heavy rain was not just hitting southern Kyushu but was also spreading into Shikoku and Tokai regions, driven by warm, moist air.
The village of Morotsuka in Miyazaki Prefecture had received 56 millimeters of rain in just one hour. Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture recorded 34 millimeters, and the town of Kinko in Kagoshima Prefecture received 33 millimeters.
As bands of heavy rain clouds form, Kagoshima Prefecture, including the Amami region, Miyazaki Prefecture, northern Kyushu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and most of Shikoku (excluding Kagawa Prefecture) could face sudden disaster risks through Thursday.
Furthermore, in the 24 hours through Thursday evening, rainfall amounts could reach 600 millimeters in southern Kyushu, 400 millimeters in northern Kyushu, 300 millimeters in Tokai and Shikoku, and 150 millimeters in the Amami and Kinki regions.
Looking ahead to the 24 hours through Friday evening, southern and northern Kyushu, along with Shikoku, could see another 400 millimeters of rain. Tokai might get 300 millimeters, Kinki 200 millimeters, and Chugoku 150 millimeters.
Copyright 2024, GoRealNewsNow.com