Japan evacuates over 2 million people as storms Mekkhala and Higos trigger floods

Japan ordered the evacuation of more than 2 million residents as Tropical Storm Mekkhala, now downgraded from a typhoon, and Tropical Storm Higos moved toward the archipelago. Authorities issued high‑level landslide and flood warnings, canceled over 200 flights, suspended dozens of train services and closed major expressways. Toyota halted operations at a Kyushu plant and Nissan announced possible production pauses.

In Taiwan, the same storms produced torrential rain that forced the shutdown of schools and offices for about six million people. Two deaths were reported – a 73‑year‑old woman in Kaohsiung and a 49‑year‑old woman in Hsinchu – and more than 1,600 residents were evacuated, including nearly 200 people downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake in Hualien. The island’s main north‑south railway link was disrupted, while TSMC confirmed its factories remained operational.

Meteorologists warned that Mekkhala and Higos could interact in a Fujiwhara effect, making their tracks harder to predict. Both Japan and Taiwan continued to monitor the systems as heavy rain was expected to persist through the weekend.