Mass evacuation ordered as Typhoon Dolphin batters southwest Japan; Toyota halts work at nine plants
Nearly 260,000 people were ordered to evacuate as Typhoon Dolphin hit Okinawa, prompting flight cancellations and Toyota plant closures.
Authorities in southwest Japan ordered nearly 260,000 people to evacuate as Typhoon Dolphin slammed into Okinawa and parts of Kyushu and the Amami islands, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain, flooding and landslides.
Transport was severely disrupted: more than 500 flights were canceled, and Toyota halted operations at nine of its factories in the affected area. Meteorologists recorded maximum winds near the storm's center of 144 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 198 km/h.
Officials singled out Kumamoto prefecture as especially vulnerable; the region is still recovering from a recent 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Local authorities warned residents to expect flooding, mudslides and further damage to already weakened infrastructure.
Precautions and path
The storm is moving westward and was forecast to pass north of Taiwan, prompting Taiwanese authorities to raise their alert levels as they monitor the system's track. Emergency services across the Japanese prefectures affected mobilized evacuation centers and rescue teams.
Weather updates circulated on social media as the system made landfall. "Typhoon Dolphin is currently hitting Okinawa, Japan, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region," read a post from Weather Monitor on Twitter.
Authorities urged residents to follow evacuation orders and stay away from rivers, steep slopes and other high-risk locations until the typhoon passes and damage assessments are completed.
Photo: press material from the event
