Typhoon Nanmadol has brought winds of at least 180 km/h (112mph) and some areas could see 500mm (20 inches) of rainfall over Sunday and Monday.

 

Extensive flooding and landslides are expected, while bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled.

 

The typhoon made landfall near the city of Kagoshima, on the southern tip of Kyushu, on Sunday morning. 

 

Kyushu is the southernmost of the four islands that make up the main body of Japan and has a population of more than 13 million people.

 

Japan's Meteorological Agency said Nanmadol would bring torrential rain, storm surges along the coast, and winds so powerful there was a risk that homes could collapse. 

 

An official in the city of Izumi said conditions on Sunday afternoon were deteriorating rapidly.

 

"The wind has become extremely strong. Rain is falling hard too," he told AFP. "It's a total white-out outside. Visibility is almost zero."

 

The typhoon is now moving north across Kyushu, dropping huge amounts of rain on the mountainous centre of the island.