A powerful typhoon, Wipha has reportedly hit central and northeast part of Japan with gales and heavy rain, leaving at least 14 people dead and several missing.
120 km south of Tokyo, on Izu Oshima island, 13 people were confirmed dead with damage to around 30 houses, while in Machida, a woman died after being swept away by a swollen river.
According to reports, record rainfall of 122.5 mm per hour was registered on the island and the Metropolitan Police Department plans to dispatch a special rescue team to the island.
Local transportation including several bullet train services on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Joetsu, Nagano and Tokaido Shinkansen lines have been canceled due to the storm, along with 193 domestic flights of Japan Airlines Co. and 211 domestic and international flights of All Nippon Airways Co.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that the typhoon is expected to be downgraded to an extratropical cyclone on Wednesday afternoon in the Pacific Ocean east of the Tohoku region.