Storm creeps through Japan, bringing heavy rain

Tropical Storm Shanshan is bringing torrential rain to Japan ‘s Shizuoka area, southwest of Tokyo, as weather officials warn the storm will linger for several days.

Shanshan, packing winds of 65km/h, made landfall on Thursday, leaving landslides, flooded rivers, torn branches and scattered debris in its path.

In southwestern Japan, people were busy cleaning up muddied homes and throwing out broken appliances.

The storm is so far connected with at least six deaths, including three people who were trapped in a mudslide.

It left one person missing and 127 people injured, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which compiles reports from local governments.

Shanshan was travelling extremely slowly and barely moving at all as of Sunday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It triggered rainfall in an extensive area, even in places not in its path, such as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, according to the agency.

Some homes became lopsided as roofs caved in, while cars passed through brown water.

Shanshan initially crept across the southwestern Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, then reached the main island of Honshu, meandering into coastal waters at one point but later moving back onto land.

Landslide warnings were issued in parts of Hamamatsu and Izu cities in Shizuoka Prefecture and Yokohama in Kanagawa, a port city near Tokyo, as well as at-risk spots in Tokyo.

Tokyo in recent days saw mostly cloudy skies, speckled with moments of sudden and intense showers.

People living in areas at risk for landslides were told to evacuate to local stadiums and community centres as a cautionary measure.

Shanshan’s exact route remains uncertain. It’s expected to gradually move north Monday, then out over the Sea of Japan.