Heavy rains cause widespread disruption in western Japan
On September 18th, a special warning for heavy rains was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for Miyazaki Prefecture.
The agency said it was possible that the typhoon, the 14th of the season, had already struck some areas in the prefecture, which brought unprecedented levels of rain to that part of southern Japan.
Bullet train operators had to cancel services in western Japan because of the storm.
The authorities in Kagoshima Prefecture issued an advisory to ensure the safety of residents in Hioki, Izumi and Nishinoomote cities as heavy rains continued there, raising the danger of rivers bursting their banks and mudslides.
The JMA issued a special alert for strong winds, high waves and storm surges for Kagoshima Prefecture, as the typhoon is projected to come extremely close to the southernmost main island of Kyushu toward Sept. 19, possibly making landfall there.
As of 10 a.m., about 4,800 residents had evacuated their homes in the Miyazaki Prefecture.
Some evacuation centers were filled in the prefectural capital of Miyazaki, according to local officials.
As of noon on September 18th, the Kyushu Electric Power Co. said recovery efforts were under way to restore power to around 49,000 buildings in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The utility said about 22,000 buildings and 600 or so buildings were affected by power outages in Miyazaki Prefecture and 600 or so buildings in Kumamoto Prefecture.
On September 18th, JR West said it will cancel all bullet train services between the Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture and the Hiroshima Station on Sept. 19 to avoid the impact of the typhoon.
JR West will suspend services in stages from the evening and fewer runs between Hiroshima and Shin-Osaka stations in the morning of Sept. 19th.
Central Japan Railway Co. JR Tokai said it would cancel bullet train runs between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka Stations from the afternoon of Sept. 19, in addition to providing limited services between Tokyo and Nagoya.
JR Tokai said it could be forced to suspend runs between sections on Sept. 20.