Evacuations have started as Typhoon No. 10, which is expected to become one of the strongest storms ever to hit Japan, approached Okinawa and Kyushu on Saturday morning.
The typhoon could make landfall in Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture, and other parts of Kyushu sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday. It is feared that the typhoon may bring gale-force winds capable of destroying houses and heavy rains that could flood major rivers. The Japan Meteorological Agency expressed a strong sense of danger, saying the possibility for a serious disaster is increasing.
According to the agency, wind gusts of up to 80 meters per second are forecast for Okinawa Prefecture and Amami, and 65 meters per second in southern Kyushu. Record rainfall is expected, possibly in amounts nearly double the volume normally seen for all of September.
The Amami city government issued an evacuation advisory for the entire city at 10 a.m. Saturday, and has set up about 70 evacuation centers. Among the centers, city residents carrying bedding and other items for extended stays have already arrived at the AiAi Hiroba public facility. At the entrance, they were asked to take their temperature and wear masks as measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) announced Saturday that it will suspend all operations on the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train between Hiroshima and Hakata stations on Monday. The company also plans to reduce the number of bullet train runs between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima stations.
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