More than five million inhabitants are asked to evacuate their homes in Japan, while Cyclone Haishen, reached the south of the country on Sunday, September 6.

This call from the authorities primarily concerns Kyushu, one of the main islands in Japan, which the typhoon, placed in the "extremely strong" category, is expected to reach overnight from Sunday to Monday.

However, the storm weakened somewhat and contrary to previous forecasts, was moving west.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said it was no longer likely to issue a high typhoon warning, but urged residents to exercise "utmost caution" over possible record precipitation , strong winds, high waves and strong tides.

"Record precipitation levels are expected. They could cause landslides or even flooding near major rivers," said Yoshihisa Nakamoto, director of the weather agency's forecast division, during a televised meeting.

He added that the strong tides could cause flooding in low lying areas, especially near the mouths of rivers.

Sunday afternoon, the storm swept over a string of small islands near Kyushu.

Images show trees bent under the force of the winds as well as torrents of water.

Wind ripping off the sea on NE coast of Amami right now #typhoon #Haishen #Japan pic.twitter.com/6RPhxTXJ5f

- James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) September 6, 2020

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who organized a meeting to discuss the means to be deployed, warned of the risks of flooding and landslides.

“Great care is needed as record levels of precipitation, high winds, strong waves and high tides are possible,” he said.

"I call on the Japanese, including those living in areas at high risk of flooding, to stay informed and take immediate action to ensure their safety."               

The fear of great material damage

At 7:00 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT), Haishen was about 100 kilometers southwest of Makurazaki town, with wind gusts reaching up to 216 km / h, strong enough to overturn vehicles and smash wooden utility poles. .

According to the Meteorological Agency, the storm is expected to move north-northwest and pass off the west coast of Kyushu overnight from Sunday to Monday, before reaching South Korea.

Nearly 1.8 million Kyushu residents have been called to evacuate, especially in Kagoshima and neighboring Miyazaki, according to the Disaster Management Agency.

Across the country, calls for a lower-level evacuation have been issued for some 5.6 million residents, according to public television NHK.

Rather than joining the schools and centers provided for in these cases, some residents have preferred to take shelter in local hotels to try to reduce the risk of infection from the coronavirus in crowded shelters.

"I live by the river and wanted a safe place to stay while not forgetting the coronavirus," a Miyazaki resident told NHK, after taking refuge with her family in a hotel.

The storm led to the cancellation of nearly 550 flights and disrupted rail traffic, according to NHK.

Power cuts were reported in parts of Okinawa, as well as in Kagoshima and Miyazaki, where some 79,000 homes were without power even before the storm arrived.

Toyota announced the suspension of operations at three factories in Kyushu until Monday evening, while other companies, including Canon and Mitsubishi Electric, have reportedly taken similar measures.

As Cyclone Haishen approached, Japanese authorities on Saturday suspended the search for dozens of sailors missing after a cargo ship sank.

The Coast Guard had rescued a second survivor on Friday among the 43 crew members of the Gulf Livestock 1, which was carrying some 6,000 cows.

But patrol vessels remain at sea to be able to resume searches when the cyclone leaves the region, an official told AFP.

With AFP

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