Typhoon Shanshan leaves at least 3 dead in Japan as storm brings 'unprecedented' winds, storm surge and rainfall

Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in southern Japan on Thursday, threatening "unprecedented" high winds, waves, heavy rainfall and powerful storm surges, according to Japan's disaster management agency.

At least three people have died and dozens of others have been injured, officials said. Millions have been told to evacuate as the powerful storm pummels the region.

"Maximum caution is required given that forecasts are for strong winds, high waves and high tides that have not been seen thus far," Satoshi Sugimoto, a director of the Japan Meteorological Agency, warned during a news conference earlier in the week.

Hundreds of thousands of people have also experienced power outages as the typhoon — a term meteorologists use for tropical cyclones that form over the Northwest Pacific; whereas in the North Atlantic and central and eastern North Pacific Ocean, they're called hurricanes — pumped two feet of rain into some areas and wind gusts of up to 112 mph.

Meteorologists expect Typhoon Shanshan to continue to bear down on southwest Japan for the next few days before moving northeast to the central and eastern regions of the country, including the capital Tokyo, over the weekend.

Who has been affected by Typhoon Shanshan?

More than 5 million people, mainly in Kyushu — Japan's third-largest island located in the southwesternmost part of the islands — were urged to evacuate. People in central Japan were also given evacuation notices after torrential downpours on Wednesday caused a landslide.

About 20,000 people across Kyushu took shelter at local community centers and school gymnasiums, government reports showed, according to the Associated Press. Over 70 people were reportedly injured by the force of the storm on the way to shelters, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

As of 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, a little over 150,000 households in Kyushu lost power, a local power company wrote on X, according to an online translation.

What has been affected?

Shanshan caused damage in downtown Miyazaki, located on the eastern coast of Kyushu. The strong winds and rain knocked down trees, shattered windows in buildings and hurled cars in parking lots.

On Thursday, airlines including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, canceled an estimated 800 flights. Train, bus and ferry services have also been suspended in many areas of Kyushu.

Big-named automakers are also shuttering their operations due to Typhoon Shanshan.

According to Reuters, Toyota announced they were halting operations at all 14 of its plants in Japan from Wednesday through Thursday. Nissan also said it would suspend its plant operations in Kyushu from Thursday to Friday. Honda will also temporarily shutter its plant in southwestern Kyushu. Mazda will close two plants in western Japan until Friday.

Postal and delivery services were also halted and stores were closed in Honshu, Japan’s main island.