Typhoon Jangmi Slams Japan, Floods Cities and Halts Factories

(MENAFN) Tropical Storm Jangmi — designated Taifu No. 6 in Japan — tore into the southern coast of Wakayama Prefecture in the early hours of Wednesday, unleashing fierce winds, torrential downpours, and widespread flooding threats across central and eastern Japan, local media reported.

The storm made initial landfall near Wakayama's southern shoreline before curving northeast along the Pacific coast, according to Japanese media.

In response to rapidly deteriorating conditions, the Japan Meteorological Agency activated rare Level 5 special flood warnings — the nation's highest alert tier — across areas battered by surging rivers and catastrophic inundation risks.

Along Wakayama's Koza River, flood warnings were triggered as water levels surged, prompting emergency alerts. Authorities later downgraded the alert as conditions showed incremental improvement, though officials stressed that residents must not lower their guard, citing persistent threats from unstable slopes, swollen waterways, and further expected rainfall.

The destruction spread well beyond western Japan. media reported that hundreds of flights were grounded, rail networks faced sweeping suspensions and delays, and evacuation advisories were activated across multiple prefectures. Major manufacturers — among them key automotive producers — suspended operations as a precautionary measure against the extreme weather. Tens of thousands of homes were plunged into darkness as powerful gusts tore across the country.

Jangmi, which had already battered Okinawa before its mainland approach, gradually lost intensity following landfall but pressed on toward the Tokyo metropolitan area, keeping millions in its path.

Meteorologists cautioned that heavy precipitation could continue through Thursday, extending the danger window for flood events and weather-driven disasters across eastern Japan.

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