Strongest typhoon in quarter century hits Japan

The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years made landfall Tuesday, the country's weather agency said, bringing violent winds and heavy rainfall that prompted evacuation warnings.

Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (135 miles) per hour, made landfall around midday in western Japan near areas still recovering from deadly record rains earlier this summer.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged people to "evacuate early" and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents.

Japan's weather agency has issued warnings about possible landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes in a swath of western Japan including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto.

With winds of up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour at its centre, Jebi is classed as a "very strong" typhoon, the weather agency's chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora told AFP.

"This is (the strongest) since 1993."

Typhoon Jebi is the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years

In the hours before the storm made landfall, Shikoku, one of four Japanese main islands, was already experiencing "violent storms and the storms will get stronger and stronger," he added.

As the storm approached, Abe called a disaster response meeting and cancelled a trip to western Japan.

"I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early," he said.

(AFP)