Super Typhoon Nanmadol Update: Millions in Japan Told Seek Shelter

Millions of people in Japan have been told to seek shelter as super typhoon Nanmandol made landfall on the southern island of Kyushu.

Super Typhoon Nanmadol has swirled across the country with winds as fast as 157mph and could dump as much as 20 inches of rainfall within 24 hours, ending at about 12 p.m. on Monday, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center uses the term super typhoon for those powerful storms that reach maximum sustained 1-minute surface winds of at least 150mph. That is the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin.

Nanmandol is the fourteenth typhoon in the Pacific to have struck this season.

In a statement, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told people to evacuate "without hesitation" if they felt in danger.

He added: "I urge everyone to avoid going near places posing potential dangers such as rivers and other waterways or places at risk of landslides. It is extremely dangerous to evacuate at night and I urge the public to evacuate to a safe location before nightfall."

According to Japan Meteorological Agency, most regions on the island of Kyushu have an emergency storm, high wave and storm surge warnings, plus landslide warnings.

Miyazaki Prefecture also has a severe heavy rain emergency landslide warning. Other parts of the southern main island of Honshu and Shikoku have numerous flood, storm, and high wave warnings.

Central and eastern parts of Honshu and most of the northernmost island of Hokkaido have issued weather advisory updates.

In a Saturday, September 17 update, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan said the special typhoon warning for Nanmandol is the first time a special typhoon warning has been issued outside of the Okinawa region, an island chain southwest of the four main Japanese islands.

It said: "Japan's weather officials warn that the storm may hit Japan's southwestern islands with violent winds and extremely heavy rains. Officials warn of powerful gusts, high waves, mudslides, and flooding in low-lying areas."

It added that heavy rains were expected to last through into next week.

U.S. citizens in the Okinawa and Kyushu areas have been encouraged to immediately monitor local news and followed guidelines issued by the Japanese government.

As the typhoon moves east, residents in the central and eastern areas of Japan should remain aware of any changes to advice or guidelines.

U.S. citizens can keep up to date with the ongoing situation via the Japan Meteorological Agency and U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center, both of which are online.

Super Typhoon Namandol's arrival in Japan comes as a magnitude 6.9 earthquake strike the island nation of Taiwan earlier today.

The earthquake southeast of Lugu was the result of movement at a shallow depth near the plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and Eurasia plates, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The USGS added: "Taiwan lies in a region of complex tectonics near the intersection of three major tectonic plates – the Philippine Sea plate to the east and southeast, the Eurasia plate to the north and west, and the Sunda plate to the southwest."

A smaller magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the same area some 17 hours earlier. Video and photos shared on social media revealed extensive damage across the island.

Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center for comment.