Typhoon Shanshan causes widespread disruption in Japan

Trains and flights were canceled in Japan as one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in decades submerged cities in its path.

At least six people were killed and more than 100 injured after Typhoon Shanshan struck southwestern Japan on Thursday.

Now downgraded to a tropical storm, Shanshan still packs winds of 90km/h (56mph).

Thousands of people remain without power.

The highest order of the fifth degree issued to millions of residents on the southern island of Kyushu as the typhoon approaches on Thursday, with winds of up to 252 km/h.

After landfall, the typhoon weakened to a strong tropical storm, but continued to track northeastward. Up to 300mm (12in) of rain is expected in places over the next 24 hours.

Residents of the affected areas have been warned of landslides, floods and major damage.

The trail of destruction can be seen all along Shanshan, with many buildings damaged by flying debris, trees uprooted and cars overturned or buried under the floodwaters.

There was heavy rain in Gifu and Mie prefectures on Saturday, as the Japan Meteorological Agency urged people to “remain alert for landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers”.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a typhoon flood all over Japan,” a resident of the capital, Tokyo, told Reuters news agency.

“Typhoons are supposed to move north from Okinawa. So, I didn’t expect it to be like this. I’m very surprised.”

Both Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have canceled a number of domestic flights.

Train services between Tokyo and Osaka are among those affected on Saturday and Sunday.

Shinkansen bullet trains in central Nagoya have also been suspended – and there are warnings that more could be stopped.

Special typhoon warnings, such as the one issued for Shanshan, are issued in Japan in cases of unusually strong typhoons. A similar warning was issued in September 2022 as Typhoon Nanmadol approached Kyushu – the first such warning to be declared in a region other than Okinawa.

Storms in the region have been increasing closer to the coast, intensifying faster and lasting longer on land due to climate change, according to a study released last month.