Torrential rains from a tropical storm have shut down parts of southern Taiwan, affecting over 5 million people, while neighboring Japan has issued flood and landslide warnings.
The storm, Typhoon Mekkhala, did not make direct landfall in Taiwan but brought heavy rain to the island, particularly in Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Pingtung.
The Taiwanese governments of the affected regions ordered offices and schools closed, while severe flooding in Tainan shut down a section of the main north-south railway line.
In Japan, high-level warnings were issued for landslides, flooding, and swollen rivers in western and southern regions, with an evacuation order for 2.2 million residents.
Over 200 flights were cancelled, dozens of train lines halted, and many expressways closed, with Toyota suspending a factory in Kyushu.
No casualties have been reported in Taiwan, but authorities are evacuating residents from two townships downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake in Hualien county.
Rain is forecast to continue over Taiwan for at least the next week, though it will gradually ease.
