A powerful typhoon that officials warned could bring record rains and gusts strong enough to flip cars slammed into southern Japan on Sunday, prompting authorities to urge millions to seek shelter.
Typhoon Haishen has weakened somewhat as it neared Japan’s mainland, and shifted further west out to sea, but it remained a “large” and “extremely strong” storm.
After lashing a string of exposed, remote southern islands, it neared Japan’s Kyushu region on Sunday evening, with authorities’ issues evacuation advisories for more than seven million residents.
The weather agency urged peoples to exercise “most serious caution” for possible record rain, violent winds, high waves and surging tides.