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WorldMudslides and flooding as typhoon batters Japan

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Mudslides and flooding as typhoon batters Japan

Rescue workers in Japan have warned of mudslides and flooding as one of the biggest storms in recent decades batters the country.

Typhoon Nanmadol has killed at least two people and injured 90 others since it made landfall on the southern island of Kyushu on Sunday morning.

Nine million people have been told to evacuate, and more than 350,000 homes are without power.

Forecasts predict up to 400mm (16in) of rain over the next 24 hours.

Passengers gather as train service is suspended due to Typhoon Nanmadol approaching Kyushu region, at Hakata station of Fukuoka on September 18, 2022.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Passengers stranded at Hakata station as train services were suspended when Typhoon Nanmadol approached Kyushu

State broadcaster NHK said one man was killed when his car was submerged in flooding, and another died after being buried in a landslide. One more person remains missing, and reports say 87 others have been injured.

The super typhoon brought gusts of up to 234km/h (145mph), destroying homes, and disrupting transport and businesses. It is equivalent to a category four or five hurricane.

An aerial view shows submerged houses at a flooded area caused by heavy rains due to Typhoon Nanmadol in Kunitomi, Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan September 19, 2022.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, An aerial view of houses submerged by flooding in Kunitomi on the island of Kyushu

The capital, Tokyo, experienced heavy rain, with the Tozai underground line suspended because of flooding. Bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled; shops and businesses have shut. Local video footage showed roofs ripped off of buildings and billboards toppled over.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delayed a visit to New York, where he is due to give speech at the UN General Assembly, until Tuesday, to monitor the storm’s impact.

Japanese Self-Defence Force soldiers conduct search and rescue operation at a landslide site caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Mimata Town, Miyazaki Prefecture on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu September 19, 2022,
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, Japanese Self-Defence Force soldiers conducting search and rescue operation at sites of landslides
Raging waters flow along the Sendai River in the wake of Typhoon Nanmadol in Isa, Kagoshima prefecture on September 19, 2022.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Raging waters flow along the Sendai River in Isa in Kagoshima prefecture

The storm is forecast to turn east and pass over Japan’s main island of Honshu before moving out to sea by Wednesday.

Scientists have predicted an active hurricane season this year, influenced by a natural phenomenon known as La Niña.

Warmer sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean as a result of climate change may also impact the frequency and intensity of hurricanes.

Source: BBC

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