Japan Under Attack As Worst Storm Ever Hits Hard

 Tokyo (CNN) Typhoon Hagibis made landfall Saturday night local time, as the country braces for hurricane-force winds which has killed one person and injured 33.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the typhoon made landfall just before 7 p.m. local time on the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo.

The agency called for the public to remain vigilant for rain and gusts of wind, after it issued an “Emergency Weather Warning (Level 5).”

The warning was issued for towns and cities in 12 prefectures including areas in Tochigi, Ibaragi, Fukushima, Miyagi, and NIigat.

“It is a level 5 situation; some sort of disaster may have already taken place,” said JMA weather forecaster, Yasushi Kajiwara. “People are strongly advised to act to protect their lives right away.”

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) confirmed 33 people had been injured and that one person had been killed in Ichiara City. It also said one person was missing in Gotenba City.

The storm, which comes as the country hosts the Rugby World Cup, also meant that two matches — England-France and New Zealand-Italy — had to be preemptively canceled. World Cup authorities also said they were evaluating whether additional matches Sunday would need to be called off.

Evacuation advisories affect tens of millions

Evacuation advisories have been issued throughout much of the Tokyo region, affecting tens of millions of people. The Japanese capital is in lockdown, with usually busy streets abandoned amid torrential rain.

At least eight prefectures have ordered evacuations totaling 936,113 people, the FDMA said, and 292,770 households are without power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Chub Electric Power Company.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport said it was considering discharging water from three dams due to heavy rain which could possible cause flooding downstream.

The storm had weakened as it approached Japan but still remained highly dangerous, with maximum winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour (122 mph) — equivalent to a Category 3 Atlantic hurricane.

All flights to and from Tokyo and nearby airports have been canceled until at least Sunday morning. All bullet trains between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka are also canceled, as are most non high-speed trains.

Local police said a 49-year-old man in Ichihara City, Chiba prefecture, was killed when a tornado flipped his car Saturday morning.

At least five other people, including three children, where injured as the tornado swept through the city, which lies around 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Tokyo, fire authorities said.