Japan is bracing for strong winds and heavy rain as Typhoon Shanshan slowly approaches the southwest of the country.

The storm has already caused flights to be canceled and areas to be evacuated, with business closures expected through the weekend.

On Wednesday morning, Typhoon Shanshan was about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of the southern island of Yakushima. The typhoon is moving north toward Kyushu, with maximum sustained winds of up to 112 miles (180 kilometers) per hour, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

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The JMA warned that the typhoon is likely to reach southern Kyushu and possibly make landfall on Thursday. High-level warnings have been issued for dangerous winds, high waves and heavy rain in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura urged residents in the storm’s predicted path to quickly take precautionary measures, including seeking shelter at the nearest shelters.

Matsumura stressed that residents, especially the elderly, should not hesitate to seek shelter if safety is at stake.

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The JMA predicts that up to 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) of rain will fall in southern Kyushu within 24 hours, raising concerns about possible flooding and landslides.
Furthermore, the storm will be incredibly difficult to predict, Yale Climate Connections.

To focus on responding to the storm, the government has canceled annual earthquake drills scheduled for Sunday.

So far, no damage or injuries have been reported.

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Dozens of domestic flights between cities and islands in the southwest are expected to be cancelled through Friday.

Japanese railway companies said most bullet trains and local services were running normally on Wednesday, but many trains on Kyushu were likely to be suspended on Thursday. Similar disruptions could hit the main island of Honshu through Sunday.

In addition to transportation delays, postal and delivery services have been suspended in the Kyushu region, and many supermarkets and stores have announced early closures as the storm approaches.

Typhoon Shanshan is progressing at category four, the second highest on the scale.

Current models cannot say with certainty whether the intensity will increase, but its remarkably slow progression could prolong the impact on the country.

Because Japan is so close to the Pacific Ring of Fire, the world’s most seismically and volcanically active area, large-scale natural disasters occur frequently.

The country is known for its advanced early warning systems, strict building codes and well-organized disaster response mechanisms.

This is Japan’s 10th typhoon this year. An average typhoon season (May-October) can produce as many as 30, but it’s rare for the majority to reach land. About three make landfall each year, during periods when ocean temperatures are higher.

Typhoon Shanshan could become the most powerful typhoon in Japanese history since Typhoon Jebi in 2018, the costliest typhoon in terms of insured losses.

Typhoon Jebi caused insured losses of $13-14 billion, damaging 98,000 homes and leaving more than 3 million people without electricity.

Fourteen people were killed and another 980 people were injured.

Current information can be found via the Japan Meteorological Agency.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.