On Sunday, Typhoon VongFong, the strongest storm to hit Japan this year, made a landfall in the country's southern island of Okinawa, injuring over 50 people and disrupting power supplies prior to losing its strength and being reduced to a tropical storm.

In the wee hours of Sunday, it rained in excess of six cm in different regions of Okinawa in just an hour, while it was forecast that some areas of the western part of Japan's main four islands would also receive more than 50 cm rainfall.

It was also forecast that the rains would intensify when the storm makes landfall in Kyushu and Honshu on Monday. Authorities in Kyushu said that would be 150,000 evacuated as the strong winds uprooted trees and snapped power supplies to several thousands.

According to Japan's Meteorological Agency, Typhoon Vongfong is expected to reach the Tokyo area by Tuesday.

The authorities in Okinawa have ordered evacuation of as many as 210,000 people from 90,000 homes in the region, 1,600 km south of Tokyo, ahead of the area being hit by Typhoon VongFong.

However, the wind speeds became significantly weak later on Sunday, after hitting the highest pointing on Saturday at 234 kilometers an hour (146 mph), which turned Vongfong into a "super typhoon." On Sunday, the speed of winds was 180 kilometers per hour (110 miles).

Meanwhile, Airlines JAL and ANA called off over 400 flights due to strong winds. Even the bullet train was halted in Kyushu when the strong wind blew a plastic sheet on top of the aerial wires of the railway line.

It is expected that Typhoon VongFong will then pass through Honshu, the biggest island of Japan, resulting in heavy rain in Tokyo, prior to leaving the north coast. The Met office has also issued landslide warnings.

On a side note, in Cantonese, Vongfong means wasp.

It was pusuing the path of Phanfone, a typhoon that battered Japan's main island early last week, dislocating transport and resulting in evacuation advisories for several thousand people. After the exit of Phanfone, it was found that 11 people were killed or missing.