Nine million people in Japan have been told to evacuate their homes as the island state battened down in the face of one of the worst typhoons it has ever seen.
According to the BBC, by yesterday, the super typhoon Nanmadol had killed two people and injured almost 90, having hit Japan’s most southerly island, Kyushu, on Sunday morning. It was forecast to pass over the main island of Honshu in the first few days of the week.
A total of around nine million people have been ordered to evacuate parts of the Kyushu, Shikoku and Chugoku regions after a level four alert.
The storm is forecast to turn east and pass over Japan’s main island of Honshu before moving out to sea by tomorrow. The capital, Tokyo, has experienced heavy rain, with the Tozai underground line suspended because of flooding.
Reports say tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350 000 homes were without power.
Transport and business has been disrupted, and the country is braced for extensive flooding and landslides.
The BBC reports that Nanmadol has brought gusts of up to 234km/h, with some areas forecast to receive 400mm of rain in 24 hours.
Bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. Many shops and other businesses have closed, and sandbags have been put in place to protect some properties.
[Image: Japan Meteorological Agency handout via AFP]