Shanshan, downgraded from typhoon, leaves 7 dead, damage in Japan

TOKYO — Tropical cyclone Shanshan, downgraded from a typhoon, left seven people dead and widespread damage as it churned off the Pacific coast of central Japan on Sept 1.

The Japan Meteorological Agency continued to warn of landslides, floods and rising water levels in rivers in western and eastern Japan, citing increased risks due to ground loosening from record-breaking rainfall since the storm hit the southern coast on Aug 29.

On the Pacific side of eastern Japan, unstable atmospheric conditions caused by rain clouds around the tropical cyclone and the inflow of warm, moist air from a Pacific high-pressure system were causing heavy rain and thunderstorms, the agency said.

Some Shinkansen bullet train services remained disrupted, but Tokyo-Osaka service, suspended in some sections, will resume on the evening of Sept 1, Central Japan Railway said.

The seventh death from Shanshan was reported in Fukuoka in south-western Japan on Sept 1, Kyodo news agency said.

Before that, the typhoon had crept eastward, drenching large areas with torrential rain, triggering landslide and flood warnings hundreds of kilometres from the storm's centre.

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