TOKYO: Nine people died and nine are missing in Japan as torrential rain triggered flash floods and landslides ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Etau, police and media reports said Monday.

The typhoon, packing winds of up to 108 kilometers (67 miles) per hour, was forecast to hit the Tokyo area on Tuesday, Japan's weather agency said.

Heavy downpours have drenched the main Honshu Island since the weekend, leading to incidents that left at least 18 people dead or missing, public broadcaster reported.

Police said among the dead were two men and one woman confirmed killed in western Hyogo prefecture, where they drowned in floods.

Typhoon Etau, which means "storm cloud" in Palauan, was moving towards Honshu at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, Japan's weather agency said. LINK