OKINAWA, JAPAN - Typhoon Haishen drew closer to Japan's southern mainland on Sunday, prompting authorities to recommend evacuation and warn of potentially record rainfall, unprecedented wind, high tides and large ocean swells.
Local TV showed footage of strong wind, high waves and closed stores at Amami, as the typhoon approaches. National broadcaster NHK reported that more than 8,000 homes in the wider Amami-Oshima island and 3,000 homes in Okinawa had lost power due to the typhoon.
Authorities urged early evacuation for more than 100 000 households in the southern prefectures of Okinawa, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA).
The typhoon is forecast to have sustained winds of up to 252km/h by Monday, the meteorological agency said.
Typhoon Haishen follows Typhoon Maysak, which smashed into the Korean peninsula on Thursday (September 3), leaving at least two dead and thousands temporarily without power.
Reuters