Severe cyclone, Haishen, heads to Japan on September 5, 2020 -

AP / SIPA

An extremely violent cyclone was speeding towards southwestern Japan on Saturday, where authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents, warning of winds of unparalleled violence accompanied by heavy rains and high waves.

Cyclone Haishen forced Japanese authorities to suspend the search for dozens of sailors who went missing when a livestock vessel sank in another storm, after rescuing two crew members.

Cyclone Haishen is expected from Saturday late in the day, with winds of 290 km / h which make it a "violent" storm, at the highest of the Japanese meteorological scale.

"A disaster is going to happen"

In the late afternoon, Haishen was approaching Okinawa in southern Japan and was due to head to Kyushu (west) late Sunday or Monday morning, according to weather services.

"There is a risk of record winds, heavy rains, heavy waves and severe storms," ​​Yoshihisa Nakamoto, a weather service official, told a press conference, calling for upstream evacuations and “maximum prudence”.

"A disaster is going to happen, there is almost no doubt," said Yuhei Takamura, a government official, at the press conference.

Waves the size of a tsunami

Satoshi Sugimoto, another weather service official, said waves as high as a tsunami could be expected.

When the weather services proclaim the maximum storm warning, "this will be the last chance to escape," he told reporters.

The consequences of this alert are numerous.

The manufacturer Toyota announced the interruption of its activity until Monday at least in three factories in Kyushu, while the companies Canon and Mitsubishi Electric are considering similar measures.

Nearly a hundred flights have been suspended, according to public television NHK, and high-speed trains, the Shinkansen, could be stopped Monday in the west of the archipelago.

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