Typhoon Shanshan Turns into Tropical Cyclone

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--Typhoon Shanshan turned into a tropical cyclone off the Pacific coast of central Japan at noon Sunday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned the Pacific side of eastern Japan regions to remain on high alert for landslides, inundation of low-lying areas and swollen and flooded rivers, citing rain clouds from the tropical cyclone and warm and humid air flowing in from the edge of a Pacific high pressure system.

In the city of Izu in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, rainfall reached 792 millimeters in the 72 hours until 4 a.m. Sunday. In Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, the amount of rain totaled 529.5 millimeters in the 72 hours until 7:30 a.m. the same day, hitting the highest level for the city since the start of observation.

The town government of Odai in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, called for emergency safety measures, the highest level in Japan's five-tier alert system for weather-related disasters, urging residents to immediately take actions to protect their lives, due to the risk of overflowing of the Otani River.

The warning was downgraded to an evacuation instruction, the fourth-highest level on the scale, at 8:20 a.m.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]