Powerful Typhoon Shanshan slams into southern Japan

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00As ominous clouds rolled in, and palm trees clung to their roots,

00:05Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in Japan.

00:08Torrential rains and tempestuous winds swept across Kyushu,

00:13the southernmost main island, on Thursday morning,

00:17with gusts reaching more than 200km per hour,

00:21upending structures and vehicles and threatening large-scale disaster.

00:26In Fukuoka, umbrellas, raincoats and gumboots were a must

00:31for residents braving the conditions.

00:34And across southern, western and central Japan,

00:37nearly one million people were ordered to evacuate,

00:40as authorities sounded the highest category of warning

00:44for what's been deemed the country's most powerful typhoon of the year.

00:50Unprecedented storm winds, high waves and storm surges are expected,

00:55but the highest level of caution is required.

00:57Shanshan has already left nearly a quarter of a million households without power,

01:02injured dozens and claimed several lives.

01:05Three members of a family died on Wednesday before the typhoon made landfall,

01:10when the slow-moving system brought heavy rains and caused a landslide,

01:14burying a house in the central city of Gamigori.

01:18Two people were rescued, one with serious injuries.

01:22And tens of thousands of passengers have been affected by cancelled flights

01:26and train services, with disruption expected into the weekend.

01:30At midday on Thursday, Shanshan was moving north at about 15km an hour.

01:36Its wind speed had slowed, but it was still expected to bring heavy rains and storms.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended