Iran Press/Asia: The Japanese authorities on Sunday ordered more than a million residents of western Japan to seek shelter as a major storm lashed the coast with high winds and threatened record-breaking flooding, according to The New York Times.
As of Monday, the storm, Typhoon Haishen, had led to more than 448,000 homes in Kyushu losing power as it blew down trees and power lines, according to Kyushu Electric Power. More than 30 people had suffered injuries, according to NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster.
The storm had sat off the coast of the western island of Kyushu gathering power and creating chaos in the region, where it also disrupted flights and trains.
Local officials ordered 1.8 million people to evacuate seven prefectures across the region and had recommended that 5.8 million others across 11 prefectures seek shelter ahead of the storm. The orders remained in place on Monday morning as the storm passed by Japan without making landfall on its way to the Korean Peninsula.
The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued its highest-level warning for the storm, cautioning that it would bring record-high tides and that residents should be prepared for “large-scale flooding.”
“High tides combined with large waves could top coastal sea walls and inundate a wide area,” it said in a statement on its website Sunday afternoon. It kept in place warnings for residents to take shelter as heavy wind and rains were expected to continue throughout the day with the possibility of tornadoes.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned residents to listen to local authorities and “take immediate action to protect your life,” adding that the country’s Self-Defense Forces were prepared to offer aid in the event of widespread damage.
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