Published: 11:11, August 31, 2024 | Updated: 16:43, August 31, 2024
At least six dead in Japan as Typhoon Shanshan grinds on
By Reuters
Farmlands along a river is flooded by heavy rains caused by a typhoon in Yufu, Oita prefecture, western Japan, on Aug 29, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

TOKYO - At least six people were dead as Typhoon Shanshan crept eastward through Japan on Saturday, drenching large areas with torrential rain, triggering landslide and flood warnings hundreds of kilometers from the storm's center.

Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed homes with roofs partly sheered off while cars drove wheels-deep on flooded roads in the country's southwest. The storm made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday, bringing record levels of rainfall.

Flood debris is seen piled on the bank of the Yoshino river in Tokushima, southern Japan, on Aug 31, 2024, following a tropical storm in the area. (PHOTO / AP)

One person was missing and more than 100 have been injured, said Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. More than 35,000 homes were without power in southern Kyushu's Kagoshima prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric.

ALSO READ: Typhoon Shanshan pummels Japan; millions told to evacuate

Shanshan, centerd in the Pacific Ocean some 480 km southwest of Tokyo at 12:50 pm (0350 GMT), triggered heavy rain as far away as the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, despite being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday. Winds were gusting up to 25 meters per second.

A notice board of departure flights is seen as many flights were canceled as a severe weather system is affecting Japan, at Haneda airport on Aug 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (PHOTO / AP)

Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings around the country since the storm's arrival, halting air and rail services and shutting factories.

READ MORE: Japan issues emergency warning as powerful Typhoon Shanshan nears

The storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression over the weekend but is expected to continue to bring heavy rain, NHK reported.