Typhoon Shanshan is expected to become a “very powerful” storm later this week, the Meteorological Agency said Sunday, bringing rain and gusts of wind to western and eastern Japan that could disrupt public transportation.
As of 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, the storm was moving at a speed of approximately 30 kilometers per hour, with a central pressure reading of 980 hectopascals and maximum sustained wind speeds of 126 kph and gusts reaching up to 180 kph.
The agency said the storm — the sixth typhoon to form in the area around Japan this month — could bring strong winds and potentially severe weather on Tuesday as it nears land, with sustained winds of up to 162 kph and maximum gusts of up to 216 kph forecast.
Also referred to by authorities as Typhoon No. 10, Shanshan is expected to approach or make landfall on Honshu or Shikoku by Wednesday morning, bringing rough weather to western and eastern Japan through the later part of the week, with the storm moving into the northeastern region of the country Thursday and reaching Hokkaido on Friday.
The typhoon has prompted JR Central and JR West to announce that suspensions or long delays could affect all or some parts of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines on Tuesday and Wednesday. JR East has also said that significant delays or cancellations could impact various Shinkansen routes, including the Joetsu, Hokuriku, Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita bullet trains during those days, adding that the storm could affect operations through Thursday.