Tropical Storm Mekkhala brought torrential rain and strong winds to Taiwan and southern Japan on Friday, triggering mass evacuation orders and widespread disruption. Japanese authorities issued evacuation instructions for approximately 2.2 million residents across 13 prefectures, while in Taiwan, local governments closed offices and schools in the southern cities of Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Pingtung, affecting more than five million people.

In Taiwan, no casualties had been reported by Friday evening, but officials in Hualien county evacuated nearly 200 residents from two townships downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake in the mountains. Severe flooding severed a section of the island’s main north-south railway line. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) said its factories were operating normally after taking precautionary measures. In Japan, at least three people were injured in Kagoshima prefecture and 25 buildings were flooded, according to local disaster management agencies. Toyota suspended operations at a plant on Kyushu island, Nissan planned to halt some production lines, and the Japanese military cancelled the maiden flight of a V-22 Osprey transport aircraft to Miyako Island. Airlines cancelled more than 200 flights, though some reports put the figure at 120; dozens of train services were suspended and several expressways closed.

The storm, downgraded from a typhoon, was moving towards the Ryukyu Islands with maximum gusts of 144 kilometres per hour. A second tropical storm, Higos, was also approaching from the Pacific, and Japanese meteorologists warned that the two systems could interact in a Fujiwhara effect, making their tracks and intensities harder to predict. A stationary seasonal rain front amplified the rainfall, especially across western Japan. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said some areas in the south had recorded nearly a metre of rain since Thursday, and heavy rain advisories remained in effect through the night.

Authorities in both countries maintained high alert levels for landslides and flooding. The rainfall is expected to gradually weaken in Taiwan but persist for several days, while also helping to replenish reservoirs after a dry winter. No deaths have been confirmed, and damage assessments are ongoing.