Typhoon Roke made landfall in central Japan, causing flooding and disrupting transport links as it weakened on a path toward the stricken nuclear power plant in Fukushima. At least three people were reported killed.

Roke was over Kofu city, 100 kilometres east of Tokyo and it was moving northeast at 50 kph. The storm’s winds are expected to weaken to 120 kph from 148 kp.h as it approaches Fukushima today as a Category 1 hurricane, the weakest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

Japan’s weather agency issued warnings for landslides and flooding throughout the main island of Honshu, with high waves in coastal areas. Public broadcaster NHK showed footage of fallen trees, damaged buildings and flooding across central Japan, where rainfall exceeded 80 mm per hour. Roke comes three weeks after typhoon Talas killed 67 people, the nation’s deadliest storm in seven years.