After passing through Japan, typhoon Haishen made landfall in Ulsan, north of Busan in South Korea. The country's second largest city was battered by the typhoon, leaving at least 32 people injured in Japan.
The storm headed from north of Tsushima in Japan towards South Korea at a speed of 40 kmph on Monday morning. However, the Korea Meteorological Administration is expecting the storm to weaken further.
More than 300 flights from 10 airports were cancelled and some train services were too suspended. In Japan, hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged and thirty-two people have been injured. The glass windows of an evacuation center were blown in also injuring the people taking shelter there stated Japanese media.
Typhoon Haishen had hit Japan with winds of more than 100 mph (160kmph), resulting in heavy rain. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) stated that 200,000 people were evacuated from Okinawa, Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Nagasaki on Kyushu, Japan's main southern island.
According to the meteorological agency, the typhoon was expected to have atmospheric pressure of 945 hectopascals at its center, and sustained winds of up to 216 km (134 miles) per hour by Monday. "This typhoon is headed toward and may potentially make landfall in Kyushu, bringing record rains, winds, waves and high tides. I am asking that people exercise the utmost caution," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the cabinet meeting.
Covid-19 Pandemic Hits Evacuation Efforts
According to the national broadcaster NHK, elderly citizens were gathered at evacuation centers in Kagoshima. Evacuation efforts have also been hit due to coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of flights and train services have been cancelled. Factories, schools and work places across Western Japan have been closed.
However, the weather department stated that it will not issue the most serious typhoon warning. But it warned people to exercise caution as surging tides may cause flooding in low-lying areas, particularly around river mouths. Reports claimed that people who have been asked to evacuate prefer local hotels than public shelters due to coronavirus pandemic.
Typhoon Haishen to Make Landfall in Busan Next
Typhoon Haishen was expected to make a landfall in Busan, South Korea on Monday. The country had raised its typhoon warning to category 4. The Korea Forest Service also had raised the landslide alert to highest level. Haishen has made a landfall in South Korea just days after the country was hit by typhoon Maysak.
Typhoon Maysak had injured at least 20 people in Japan before hitting the Korean peninsula on September 4. Maysak had resulted in blackouts in Kyushu in Japan, some bullet trains and flights were also suspended. The storm had killed at least two people in South Korea and also caused power outages.
"Huge damage is expected as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season," said, South Korean official Park Chong-ho, speaking to Yonhap news agency.
Meanwhile in Japan, Haishen warning has forced the country's coast guard to halt rescue operations. The Gulf Livestock 1 that was carrying 43 crew members and 6,000 cows went missing during typhoon Maysak. Only three crew members were rescued as heavy storm warning stalled the rescue operations.
