Typhoon Halong leaves 10 dead in Japan

Heavy rain is still lashing Japan and up to ten people are dead after Typhoon Halong hit the archipelago over the weekend.

A large tree that collapsed by strong wind from Typhoon Halong at Mibu in Tochigi, north of Tokyo. (AAP)

A large tree that collapsed by strong wind from Typhoon Halong at Mibu in Tochigi, north of Tokyo. (AAP)

As many as 10 people have died and dozens are injured after Typhoon Halong slammed into the Japanese archipelago over the weekend, with heavy rain still lashing the country's north.

The storm was moving over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) on Monday morning, after making landfall on the largest and most populous island of Honshu over the weekend, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The outer bands of the storm were continuing to lash northern Japan with heavy rain as officials warned of landslides, floods and possible tornadoes in the area.

The agency downgraded the typhoon to a tropical storm at 9am (1000 AEST) on Monday as it heads toward the far eastern coast of Russia.

The storm, as well as heavy rain last week, killed two people and injured 86 across the country, public broadcaster NHK reported.

But the leading Nikkei newspaper said as many as 10 deaths have been linked to the storm.

The weather agency had issued its highest warning on Saturday - meaning a threat to life and the risk of massive damage - for Mie prefecture, some 300km west of Tokyo.

The warning, which was lifted on Sunday afternoon, said there could be "unprecedented" torrential rain that might trigger massive landslides and floods.

Local authorities, mainly in western Japan, issued evacuation advisories to more than 1.6 million people in total, NHK said.

Airline services largely returned to normal with just a handful of flights cancelled on Monday after more than 700 flights were called off during the weekend, which came just as Japan began its annual "Obon" summer holiday.

In July, typhoon Neoguri killed several people and left a trail of destruction in southern Japan.


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