Typhoon Hagibis, the strongest storm to hit Japan in decades, has begun reaping devastation along the Pacific coast of the country’s main island, with residents in the most vulnerable areas taking shelter in evacuation centres amid rising flood levels and violent winds which have left one man dead.

As of Saturday afternoon, 5.16 million evacuation advisories had been ordered up and down Honshu’s south coast, while buildings in the Kansai region, home to cities such as Osaka and Kyoto, have been left damaged by floodwaters.

The first fatality of Typhoon Hagibis was reported on Saturday morning. According to NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, a man from Ichihara, a city in Chiba Prefecture, was killed when his vehicle was flipped over. The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The area had earlier been hit by a tornado, which injured at least five people, including three children. The storm has also knocked out power to about 10,000 homes across the region, with a further 24,000 without electricity in Kanto.

Wards in the Greater Tokyo Area have also begun issuing evacuation instructions — the strongest form of advisory used in Japan. More than 432,000 residents in the Edogawa Ward have been told to move to emergency shelters, with 214,000 houses in the area currently susceptible to flooding.

Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Show all 30 1 /30 Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years CHIBA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 13: Buildings lie in ruins after they were hit by a tornado shortly before the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, on October 13, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. At least five people are reported dead and many others are missing after Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful storms in decades, swept across Japan. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years CHIBA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 13: People sort through the debris of buildings that were destroyed by a tornado shortly before the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, on October 13, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. At least five people are reported dead and many others are missing after Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful storms in decades, swept across Japan. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07917090 Workers standing in flood water check the conditions of their office (unseen) after the passage of Typhoon Hagibis in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, 13 October 2019. According to reports, Tyhoon Hagibis has killed at least 24 people, injured 170 people and left some 170 others missing. The strong typhoon forced the suspension of railway services all over the country and cancelled about 1,600 domestic and international flights. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A residential area flooded by the Chikuma river, caused by Typhoon Hagibis is seen in Nagano, central Japan, October 13, 2019, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. KYODO REUTERS Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07917078 An aerial picture shows a nursing care home in a flooded area in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Japan, 13 October 2019. According to latest media reports, at least 25 people have died and more than 10 are missing after powerful typhoon Hagibis hit Japan provoking landslides and rivers overflowing across the country. EPA/JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO ARCHIVES JIJI PRESS EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07919525 Residents hug as they reunite in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years This aerial view shows a flooded area beside the Abukuma river in Marumori, Miyagi prefecture on October 13, 2019, one day after Typhoon Hagibis swept through central and eastern Japan. - At least 15 people are dead and nine others missing, officials said on October 13, a day after powerful Typhoon Hagibis slammed into Japan, unleashing "unprecedented" rain and catastrophic flooding. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by JIJI PRESS/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) JIJI PRESS JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A family rest at an evacuation shelter in Nagano on October 14, 2019, after Typhoon Hagibis crashed into Japan on October 12, unleashing high winds and torrential rain across 36 of the country's 47 prefectures, and triggering landslides and catastrophic flooding. - Tens of thousands of rescue workers in Japan battled on October 14 to find survivors of a powerful typhoon that killed at least 43 people, as fresh rain threatened to hamper efforts. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) KAZUHIRO NOGI AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Rescue workers search a flooded area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which caused severe floods at the Chikuma River in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, October 14, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon KIM KYUNG-HOON Reuters Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Vehicles are seen under water following the typhoon-hit town of Marumori, Miyagi prefecture, Japan , Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Typhoon Hagibis unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday, leaving thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years NAGANO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: A man pushes his bike past an upturned car in a road that was flooded during Typhoon Hagibis, on October 14, 2019 in Nagano, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years In this Oct. 13, 2019, photo, Canadian rugby team players volunteer to clean a road in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan, following the cancellation of their Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Namibia due to Typhoon Hagibis. The powerful typhoon unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday that left thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A small pickup truck is submerged in floodwaters at an apple orchard, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jae C. Hong AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years TOPSHOT - This aerial view shows a damaged train bridge over the swollen Chikuma river in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Ueda, Nagano prefecture on October 13, 2019. - At least 26 people were killed by powerful Typhoon Hagibis, local media reported on October 13, a day after the ferocious storm slammed into Japan, unleashing unprecedented rain and catastrophic flooding. (Photo by STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) STR JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07919551 Residents walk through a typhoon-affected area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A building is surrounded by floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jae C. Hong AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Emergency personnel paddle across floodwaters using an inflatable raft during search and rescue operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano on October 14, 2019. - Tens of thousands of rescue workers were searching October 14 for survivors of powerful Typhoon Hagibis, two days after the storm slammed into Japan, killing at least 35 people. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) KAZUHIRO NOGI AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years This photo shows a flooded area in Nagano, central Japan following Typhoon Hagibis , Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. The typhoon dropped record amounts of rain for a period in some spots, according to meteorological officials, causing more than 20 rivers to overflow. Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas have subsided. But many places remained flooded, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years NAGANO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: Shinkansen bullet trains sit stationary after being flooded during Typhoon Hagibis, on October 14, 2019 in Nagano, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years MARUMORI, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: A woman is rescued by police officers in an area that was flooded by Typhoon Hagibis on October 14, 2019 in Marumori, Miyagi, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) Tomohiro Ohsumi Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years MARUMORI, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: Police officers search an area by boat that was flooded by Typhoon Hagibis on October 14, 2019 in Marumori, Miyagi, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) Tomohiro Ohsumi Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epaselect epa07919532 A resident reacts as he walks through a typhoon-affected area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Damaged houses caused by weather patterns from Typhoon Hagibis are seen in Ichihara, Chiba prefecture on October 12, 2019. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than a million people. (Photo by Jiji Press / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by JIJI PRESS/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A taxi speeds through water covering a road in the Aoyama district of Tokyo on October 12, 2019, as the effects of Typhoon Hagibis is started to be felt in Japan's capital. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than 1.6 million people. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Pedestrians hold onto their umbrellas as rain falls amid strong winds in Tokyo on October 12, 2019, ahead of Typhoon Hagibis' expected landfall in central or eastern Japan later in the evening. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than 1.6 million people. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A man walks past empty shelves in a store in Tokyo on October 11, 2019, as typhoon Hagibis heads towards the city. - Japan braced on October 11 for a powerful typhoon barrelling towards Tokyo that has already forced the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, disrupted the Suzuka Grand Prix and grounded flights. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: Staff close the entrance to the Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama Station as all services are suspended ahead of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Yokohama, Japan. Meteorologists forecast Typhoon Hagibis which has rapidly intensified will hit the mainland today resulting in record-breaking rain and winds to the Tokai area, and the Kanto region, including Tokyo. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: A man covers over a doorway to a pachinko parlour ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Typhoon Hagibis is the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan this year and has been classed by the Japan Meteorological Agency as a 'violent typhoon' - the highest category on Japans typhoon scale. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Commuters take taxi under the rain at an entrance of the JR Tokyo Station on October 12, 2019, ahead of Typhoon Hagibis' expected landfall in central or eastern Japan later in the evening. - Typhoon Hagibis, rated "large and very strong", has forced the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, disrupted the Suzuka Grand Prix and grounded more than 1,600 flights. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Typhoon Hagibis - Saturday 12 October YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: Shin-Yokohama Station is seen deserted as retail outlets are closed and all Shinkansen services are suspended ahead of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Yokohama, Japan. Meteorologists forecast Typhoon Hagibis which has rapidly intensified will hit the mainland today resulting in record-breaking rain and winds to the Tokai area, and the Kanto region, including Tokyo. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Getty

To the west of the region, in Kanagawa Prefecture, residents have been warned of an emergency water release at Shiroyama Dam to combat dangerously high flood levels.

Hagibis, which has been classified as “very strong” by the Japan Meteorological Agency, is advancing on a northerly path over the south of Honshu. The storm made landfall on Saturday evening before later colliding with Tokyo and the wider Kanto region, which is set to experience record-breaking rain and winds.

Fears have been raised that the storm, which is generating gusts of up to 145mph, could match the fury of the 1958 Kanogawa Typhoon, one of the deadliest on record, which killed more than 1,200 people when it hit Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture.

With the worst-hit areas of the Honshu island set to be deluged by close to three feet of rain in a 24-hour period, the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued emergency warnings of flooding, mudslides and storm surges as high as 42 feet along the coast. Tokyo is predicted to see two feet of downpour.

Flights in and out of the country have seen extensive disruption so far, with Tokyo’s two main airports subject to the most cancellations. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have collectively cancelled more than 1,000 flights scheduled for Saturday, both domestic and international. Multiple airports throughout the country, including those serving Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai, have also cancelled flights.

Railway operators have suspended service throughout the Tokyo region, as well as bullet train service between the capital and Osaka and between Osaka and Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu.

Tokyo Disneyland has shut its theme park, its first weather-related closure since a snowstorm in 1984. The retail giant Seven & I Holdings said it would shut 124 outlets in the Tokyo area. Toyota Motor Corp also announced on Friday it was suspending production at three factories in the country.

In Tokyo, where the streets had quietened and public transport services ground to a standstill by mid-afternoon, tannoy announcements have been made across the city recommending residents to stay indoors. Many department stores in and around the capital have decided to halt trade for the day. Evacuations have also been ordered in Kawasaki, one of the main districts forming the Greater Tokyo Area.

But as a city used to typhoons and built to withstand their effects, central Tokyo looks to be prepared for the coming storm.

George Beadle, a visiting England fan, said on Saturday morning he was struck by the initial sense of calm within the capital. “Even this morning in torrential rain the supermarkets and shops are still open with people cycling down the road,” he said from his accommodation in Shinjuku. “The only difference seems to be a shortage of water and breads in the supermarkets.”

Tokyo is bracing for what could be a record-breaking storm (AFP via Getty Images)

The greater concern to life is away from the central cities and storm-proof areas. In the Chiba Prefecture, which was last month hit by Typhoon Faxai, thousands have sought cover at emergency evacuation centres, taking refuge in schools, temples, and other municipal buildings. Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that houses in the region could be blown over in the violent winds.

Some supermarkets had run out of bottled water and batteries by Friday afternoon, after officials advised residents in the area to prepare supplies for up to three days. The Chiba Prefecture, which lies to the east of Tokyo, remains particularly vulnerable to the oncoming storm, having yet to fully recover from the effects of Faxai which damaged buildings and left 900,000 people without power.

Typhoon Hagibis, which means “speed” in the Philippine language Tagalog, has already forced the cancellation of two matches at the Rugby World Cup – England’s clash with France and New Zealand’s encounter against Italy – while the Pool A decider between Japan and Scotland remains on red alert.