1.3 million urged to evacuate as typhoon nears Japan

Residents wade through a flooded street caused by an approaching typhoon in Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday.

A major hurricane that could hit Tokyo or Kyoto overnight has already triggered floods, left two people missing and forced officials to urge 1.3 million people in central Japan to evacuate.

Typhoon Roke could make landfall closer to Kyoto Tuesday night if it moves to the west of the forecast track, Rick Knabb, The Weather Channel's tropical weather expert, told NBC News.

"If it goes right at Tokyo, landfall near there might be roughly 2-4 a.m. ET," he added. "If it goes far enough right of track, the center could miss Japan altogether, but still with significant effects there."

Public broadcaster NHK said about 1.3 million people have been advised to leave their homes due to rising rivers. In the city of Moriyama, 80,000 residents were ordered to evacuate.

Heavy rains as the storm approached caused floods and road damage in dozens of locations in Nagoya and several other cities, the Aichi state government said.

Television footage showed Nagoya residents wading through water up to their knees. In parts of the city near swollen rivers, rescue workers helped residents evacuate in rubber boats.

Police in nearby Gifu prefecture said a 9-year-old boy and an 84-year-old man were missing after apparently falling into swollen rivers.

Vehicles sit submerged in floodwaters in Nagoya on Tuesday

The Meteorological Agency said the typhoon was located off the southern coast of Japan's southwestern main island of Shikoku on Tuesday night with winds of 110 miles per hour.

A typhoon that slammed Japan earlier this month left about 90 people dead or missing.



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