TOKYO

Japan has warned more than eight million people in the southern and western parts of the country to evacuate due to powerful Typhoon Nanmadol, public broadcaster NHK reported Sunday.

NHK reported that around 3.7 million households have been affected by a level 4 alert that officials ordered for evacuating parts of the Kyushu, Shikoku and Chugoku regions.

On Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a level 5 warning against the typhoon, which is expected to hit the Kyushu region in the country's south.

A level 5 alert is the highest on Japan's disaster warning scale, NHK said.

“A very strong typhoon could trigger the kind of disaster that is seen only once in a few decades,” the broadcaster reported, citing weather officials.

The officials said that “maximum winds of up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour will lash northern and southern Kyushu as well as the Amami Islands with peak gusts reaching 252 kilometers (156 miles) per hour through Sunday.”

Flights have been disrupted at airports across the country.

“As of 6 a.m. Sunday, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways have decided to cancel over 500 flights for the day. Other airlines are also canceling services,” said the report.

The Japan Railways Group also said bullet train services are expected to be affected on Sunday and Monday.