Japan orders 2M people to evacuate as powerful typhoon approaches

TOKYO

Japan warned nearly two million people to evacuate as typhoon Nanmadol approached the country, local media reported.

“Nearly two million people in southern Kyushu have been ordered to evacuate because a powerful typhoon, Nanmadol, is approaching the region,” Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a level 5 warning against the typhoon, which is expected to hit the Kyushu region in the country's south.

A level 5 alert is the highest on Japan's disaster warning scale, the NHK said.

“A very strong typhoon could trigger the kind of disasters that is seen only once in a few decades,” the broadcaster reported, citing weather officials.

The officials said that “maximum winds of up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour will lash northern and southern Kyushu, as well as the Amami Islands with peak gusts reaching 252 kilometers (156 miles) per hour through Sunday.”

Flights have been disrupted at airports across the country. “As of 6 a.m. Sunday, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways have decided to cancel over 500 flights for the day. Other airlines are also canceling services,” said the report.

The Japan Railways Group also said bullet train services are expected to be affected on Sunday and Monday.