YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. A powerful typhoon has lashed Japan's Okinawa island chain, forcing hundreds of thousands to seek shelter.

Typhoon Neoguri passed over the islands on July 8, bringing torrential rain and winds carrying gusts of up to 252km/h (151 mph), informs “Armenpress”.

Flights and some ferry services were suspended, while schools were shut. The winds uprooted trees and tore wooden buildings from their foundations.

Local officials said at least four people were injured. About 590,000 local residents across Okinawa were advised to stay at home or move to community centres for shelter.

The typhoon is now headed over the East China Sea and is weakening.

Japan's weather agency lifted some of the storm and high-wave warnings issued for Okinawa on Tuesday evening, Kyodo news agency reported. However, forecasters say the typhoon is expected to reach the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, where it could bring heavy rain and the risk of flooding.

Authorities in China and Taiwan also warned ships to stay clear of the storm.

In the Okinawan capital, Naha, streets were empty and the airport closed, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo reports. Okinawans know about typhoons and most of them had heeded government warnings to stay inside or seek shelter in evacuation centres. Two people, a 62-year-old man and an 81-year-old fisherman, were found dead, AFP news agency reported, citing police and local media.

More than 50,000 households were reported to be without power, and one oil refinery halted operations.