Japan's weather agency on Friday warned that a typhoon could approach the country from the Pacific and make landfall the following day, as heavy rain fell across western and eastern regions.
Along with the possible landfall of Typhoon Higos, the Japan Meteorological Agency also expressed concern about another typhoon, Mekkhala, which approached the Amami region in Kagoshima prefecture in southwestern Japan on Friday and could move toward the Kanto region the following day.
The agency expects both typhoons to weaken into extratropical cyclones after approaching but urged the public to remain alert for landslides and flooding.
According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, over 2 million people across 13 prefectures in the Kinki and Kyushu regions were under evacuation orders due to the rain as of 7am (5am Thailand time) on Friday.
In Seika, Kyoto prefecture, the highest level 5 emergency safety alert was issued for parts of the town after a landslide occurred in the morning.
The weather agency reported that a total of 600 millimetres of rain fell in Goto, Nagasaki prefecture, between Tuesday and Friday morning, while more than 500 mm fell in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, and Ureshino, Saga prefecture.
The agency warned of the possibility of strong storms across Okinawa prefecture and eastern Japan. As Typhoon Higos moves northward off the country's southern coast, rainfall is expected to intensify in the Tokai and Kanto regions and continue through Saturday, with Typhoon Mekkhala also approaching.
Up to 300 millimetres of rain is expected in the Tokai region by noon Saturday, while the Kanto-Koshin region is forecast to receive up to 150 mm.
As of 11am on Friday, Typhoon Mekkhala was moving northeast at a speed of 15 kilometres an hour off the coast of Okinawa's Kume Island.
Japan cancels 120 flights
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled a total of 120 flights to and from the southern regions of Okinawa and Kagoshima on Friday, as the two typhoons barrelled towards the archipelago.
The Kyoto region advised several thousand residents to evacuate, warning of potential landslides, as footage from public broadcaster NHK showed a raging brown river running through the area.
Officials in Kyoto and Osaka said water levels in rivers were rising and warned that vigilance was required because of the threat of flooding.
Automaker Toyota suspended operations at a plant in Kyushu because of road closures caused by heavy rain, while Nissan also said it planned to halt some production lines, Kyodo News reported.
The Japanese military also cancelled the planned maiden flight of a V-22 Osprey transport aircraft to Miyako Island that was part of joint exercises with the United States, Kyodo said.
In Taiwan, more than 1,600 people were evacuated from their homes, and schools and offices were shut in several areas, as Mekkhala triggered torrential rain, floods and landslides across the island.
No casualties were recorded, but authorities warned on Friday of potentially dangerous debris flows in mountainous areas of Hualien county in the east as well as in Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the south, where the weather forecasting agency said as much as 88cm (34.6 inches) of rain had fallen since Thursday.
Scores of people living downstream from a recently detected barrier lake in a rugged area of Hualien have left their homes, a local official said. Some train lines were suspended.
