Typhoon weakens but train, flight disruption continues in Japan

Tokyo, Aug 30: Disruption to train services and flights continued across a wide area of Japan on Friday due to a typhoon that has been weakening but moving slowly eastward from the southwestern main island of Kyushu.

JR Central temporarily cancelled all Tokaido Shinkansen trains from the first one on Friday due to the typhoon. While services between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka resumed after 10 a.m., all other sections were suspended for the day.

The railway operator said services between Mishima and Nagoya will be halted for Saturday.

The typhoon's slow movement has led to continued heavy rainfall even in areas distant from its centre, leading to prolonged transportation disruptions.

JR West also suspended all Sanyo Shinkansen services between Hiroshima and Hakata throughout the day and reduced the number of trains operating between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima.

JR Kyushu suspended all Kyushu Shinkansen services from the first train on Friday, following a similar suspension the previous day.

As of Friday, there were at least three deaths due to the typhoon, with more than 90 people sustaining injuries across the seven prefectures in southwestern Japan's main island of Kyushu, according to authorities.

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines said they will cancel or reschedule many flights to and from airports in the southwestern and western regions on Friday, and the irregular scheduling will affect the airlines into the weekend.

The Japan Meteorological Agency called Typhoon Shanshan "very powerful" before it made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday morning, but dropped the descriptive phrase in the afternoon. It also downgraded a rare special typhoon warning issued for most parts of Kagoshima Prefecture.

At noon Friday, the storm was located near Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture, and was moving slowly northeast with winds of up to 108 kilometres per hour, the agency said, adding that its atmospheric pressure at the centre was 994 hectopascals. (KYODO)