As many as eight million people have been ordered to evacuate areas of Japan threatened by an approaching storm.

Typhoon Haishen is expected to intensify in the coming hours, bringing heavy rain, storm surges and winds of more than 100mph (160km/h). On the south-western Kyushu island, at least 142,000 households have already been left without power. The typhoon will move past Kyushu later on and is expected to make landfall on Monday in South Korea. The country has raised its typhoon warning to the highest level. Haishen comes days after Maysak, one of the region’s strongest typhoons in years. 

Haishen has led to the closure of factories, schools and businesses across western Japan. Hundreds of flights and train services have also been cancelled. Japan’s weather agency urged residents to exercise their “most serious caution” for possible record rains and high waves along the coast. Yoshihisa Nakamoto, director of the agency’s forecast division, told reporters that surging tides may also cause flooding in low-lying areas, particularly around river mouths.(BBC)…[+]