Emergency Warning Likely To Be Issued
What could be the most powerful typhoon in decades is threatening the country's southwest.
The Meteorological Agency has announced there's a likelihood that it will issue an emergency warning for Kagoshima prefecture on Sunday morning.
Japan Meteorological Agency official Nakamoto Yoshihisa said, " Typhoon Haishen is expected to approach or make landfall in Kagoshima Prefecture late Sunday night. Kagoshima is expected to enter the storm zone shortly after noon on Sunday. We could issue an emergency warning for violent winds, high waves, and a storm surge in Kagoshima on Sunday morning."
The Meteorological Agency is warning of record-breaking winds, high waves, storm surges and unprecedented heavy rains elsewhere in Kyushu.
It typically issues a typhoon-related emergency warning 12 hours before the center of the storm reaches its target area.
Officials are calling on people to stay on highest alert and evacuate early following evacuation advisories and orders issued by local governments.
They also say it's better to act quickly, before violent winds prevent evacuations.
Land ministry official says there is a growing risk of flooding on a number of big rivers in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto prefectures in the Kyushu region.
Weather officials say Typhoon Haishen was 50 kilometers south-southwest of Minami Daito Island in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday night.
The typhoon is affecting major transport networks. The operator of the Kyushu Shinkansen says services will be partially suspended on Sunday and cancelled all day Monday.
Airlines canceled about 100 domestic flights on Saturday while nearly 500 flights have been canceled on Sunday. Most are to and from the southern parts of Kyushu and Okinawa.
