Powerful Typhoon Nanmadol hits Izumi, Japan, September 18, 2022, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. _________ READ MORE: Typhoon Nanmadol made landfall in southwestern Japan Sunday night, as authorities urged millions of people to take shelter from the powerful storm's high winds and torrential rain. The storm officially made landfall around 7 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) as its eyewall arrived near Kagoshima city, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Nanmadol had wind gusts of up to 234 kilometers per hour and had already dumped up to 500 mm of rain in less than 24 hours on parts of the southwestern Kyushu region. At least 20,000 people were spending the night in shelters in Kyushu's Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, where the JMA has issued a rare "special warning" — an alert that is issued only when it forecasts conditions seen once in several decades. National broadcaster NHK, which collates information from local authorities, said more than 7 million people had been told to move to shelters or take refuge in sturdy buildings to ride out the storm. The evacuation warnings are not mandatory, and authorities have at times struggled to convince people to move to shelters before extreme weather. (AFP) https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-in-shelters-as-japan-braces-for-dangerous-typhoon-/6752194.html » Subscribe to VOA News: https://bit.ly/3KIPysi » Watch more VOA News video: https://www.youtube.com/c/VOANews Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people. VOA produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of approximately 3,000 affiliate stations. Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press. Connect with VOA News: » VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.voanews.com/ » LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/voanews » FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/voanews/ » FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/VOANews