Typhoon Noru moved northeast out to sea off Japan's main island of Honshu and proceeded slowly northward along the coast Tuesday, with strong winds and heavy rain causing river flooding and a number of injuries.
The typhoon caused two deaths in southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture and 44 injuries across the country over a period of several days as it traveled along the Japanese archipelago, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
It made landfall in Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan on Monday afternoon and traveled through the Kinki and Hokuriku regions before moving out into the Sea of Japan. Evacuation orders or advisories were issued, affecting thousands of people.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the typhoon was moving northeast about 110 kilometers southwest of Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour. With an atmospheric pressure of 990 hectopascals, it was packing winds of up to 90 kph, according to the weather agency.
The typhoon is expected to become a weaker storm by Wednesday night but the Japan Meteorological Agency is advising people to remain vigilant against flooding, landslides, strong winds and high waves.
The Ane River overflowed in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, early Tuesday, prompting the municipal government to issue an evacuation order for residents. About 550 residents took shelter at schools as river water flowed into a community, according to the locality.
In Tsuruga in neighboring Fukui Prefecture on Tuesday, the municipal government ordered about 7,000 people to evacuate due to fears of a river flooding in the city.
It has also disrupted air travel in affected areas.
Over a 24-hour period through 6 p.m. Wednesday, up to 250 millimeters of rainfall are forecast for Niigata Prefecture and up to 100 mm for Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures facing the Sea of Japan.
