Thousands evacuating as powerful typhoon bears down on central Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Thousands of people in central Japan have been advised to evacuate as a powerful typhoon approaches. The storm system has already triggered floods that have left two people missing.

Public broadcaster NHK says some 1.3 million people have been ordered or advised to evacuate, including 80,000 people in Nagoya.

The Meteorological Agency says the typhoon was located near the southern island of Tanegashima on Tuesday afternoon and it could reach the Tokyo area by Wednesday afternoon.

Gifu prefectural police say a 9-year-old boy and an 84-year-old man are missing after apparently falling into swollen rivers due to heavy rains from the approaching storm.

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