Japan on Monday braced for the impact of a strong approaching typhoon, with airlines cancelling flights and some companies suspending production at factories in the western part of the country.
Typhoon Hinnamnor was already pounding parts of the westernmost main island of Kyushu with heavy rain on Monday, with both rain and winds expected to worsen as the storm brushes by on Tuesday and heads toward South Korea, which raised its typhoon alert level to the highest.
Parts of Kyushu were expected to be hit by some 300 millimeters of rain in the 24 hours to noon on Tuesday, the Meteorological Agency said, also warning of strong winds and storm surges.
West Japan Railway Co. said Monday it will cancel operation of the Sanyo Shinkansen between Hiroshima and Hakata stations from the first train on Tuesday until the afternoon, and Kyushu Railway Co. said it will halt operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata and Kumamoto stations on Tuesday.
Some 70 flights were canceled on Monday, media reports said. Toyota said it will suspend some evening shifts at three plants in western Japan, while Nissan Motor and Nissan Shatai subsidiaries in Fukuoka Prefecture were expected to suspend production for Monday night and Tuesday daylight shifts.