Typhoon Halong hit western Japan Saturday leaving at least two dead and around 30 injured. Of those reported dead, one was a man who was swept away by a flooding river in central Japan.

Over a million residents had been evacuated from their homes in regions where mudslides and flooded river had been reported late Saturday.

According to News.com.au, the storm slowed down as it made landfalls over Shikoku Island and Hyogo prefecture in central Japan. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued the highest alert warning civilians that there heavy rains posed a threat to life and massive damage. This prompted over half a million residents to vacate the area and another 600,000 to evacuate across the country.

Al-Jeezera reported that the storm was expected to move away from the Japanese archipelago on Sunday after making landfall on Honshu, the most populous island of Japan.

Local police say that a man went missing while surfing during the storm hit.

"According to a witness, a man in a wetsuit was seen drifting about 30 metres offshore and then disappeared," a local police spokesman said.

Helicopters have since been dispatched to the area in search of the man.

The typhoon caused problems for air and land traffic at the same time Japan was beginning its annual Buddhist holiday week.

The Associated Press reports that more than 400 flights were canceled, and some of the bullet trains suspended service.

Meteorological agency official, Satoshi Ebihara, said in that the storm was expected to pour 28 inches of rain Shikoku overnight and 20 - 25 inches in central and western Japan.

"It's an abnormal situation that poses a serious danger," Ebihara said, urging residents in affected areas to follow the local authorities' instructions for safe evacuation.

Local television in Japan showed trees uprooted and electricity poles knocked over due to the strong winds. 

Agence France-Presse reported winds up to 162 kilometer per hour or 100 miles per hour.

The Independent reported that the storm made landfall near Aki, Kochi prefecture, on Saturday around 6 p.m. local time and moved northward into the Mie prefecture west of Tokyo.