Typhoon Maemi, packing wind speeds of 198 kilometres (122.8 miles) per hour near the centre, was located some 70 kilometres northwest of Miyakojima Island in Okinawa prefecture as of 1:00 pm (0400 GMT).

The typhoon was moving northwest at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour, bringing extremely strong winds and rain to the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

"At least 63 people were injured and many of them suffered cuts from shattered glass," a Miyakojima official said. "Of them, two were seriously injured."

Japan's public broadcasting network NHK said the number of injuries had already reached 71, including nine who were hospitalised.

"You can't see any people or cars on the street right now as it is too dangerous to be outside due to the strong winds and heavy rain," said Hirokazu Tokuyama, an official of Hirara City, the island's main district.

"When we went on patrol earlier in the day, we saw some cars turned over on the streets and roofs of shopping arcades ripped off," Tokuyama said, adding that at least five houses were damaged, forcing 20 people to evacuate.

"We continue urging the residents to be on the alert for the time being, as this is the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in 30 years," Tokuyama added.

At one point a wind speed of 266.76 kilometres per hour, the second highest ever recorded in Japan, was registered on the island, the agency said. Winds of such strength are considered powerful enough to blow down a house.

Television footage showed trees and concrete telegraph polls blown down, while torrential rain disrupted traffic due to extremely poor visibility.

In Hirara port, fishing and leisure boats were flung up onto harbour walls, while others capsized with breakers hitting the wharf and producing huge sea spray.

The agency rated Maemi as "violent," the highest level of its typhoon ranking, while the BBC Weather Centre characterised it as a super-typhoon.

Power was cut to most of the island's 22,000 houses, while flights and ferry services were cancelled.

Maemi, meaning cicada is on course, to pummel the Korean Peninsula or western parts of Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu on Saturday, the agency said.

TERRA.WIRE