Typhoon Goni Makes Landfall In Japan, Injures At Least 26 People, Damages Buildings And Floods Streets

Typhoon Goni made landfall in the southwestern Kumamoto prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu Tuesday. The typhoon damaged buildings and cars, and flooded streets before barreling toward the Sea of Japan.

While no deaths were recorded, at least 26 people were injured, Japan's fire and disaster management agency said, according to the Associated Press (AP). Over the weekend, the typhoon lashed the Philippines, leaving 21 dead and 15 missing.

Goni was accompanied with strong winds and heavy rains in most of western Japan. All flights to and from Kyushu were canceled, and train and bus services were temporarily halted. Over 470,000 houses lost power connection due to Goni, the AP reported, citing Kyodo News service.

Before making landfall, Goni passed through the island of Ishigaki-jima in the southwestern Okinawa prefecture, and sustained winds of 101 mph and gusts to 159 mph, AccuWeather reported Tuesday. The island battled fierce winds for four straight hours. The typhoon also slammed Japan's southernmost Ryukyu Islands Monday as it consistently strengthened while moving over the islands.

Goni has weakened to a category 1 storm and will reportedly move toward northeastern North Korea and southeastern Russia, accompanied with heavy rains.

Before making its final landfall around Russia's Vladivostok city, near the country's border with North Korea and China, during the middle of the week, Goni will downgrade to a tropical storm with winds between 40 mph and 60 mph. However, the border region around southeastern Russia and northeastern China is likely to be flooded for several days before the typhoon fades away.