New Delhi, June 26 -- More than 2 million people were ordered to evacuate in Japan on Friday as authorities issued flood and landslide warnings with Typhoon Mekkhala imminent, while the storm's torrential rain disrupted daily life in neighbouring Taiwan, forcing around 6 million people to stay home from work or school.

Mekkhala was moving toward Japan's southern Ryukyu Islands after passing near Taiwan, where heavy rainfall battered several areas, particularly the southern cities of Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung.

Southern and western Japan were also hit by heavy rain and strong winds, prompting warnings of landslides, flooding and rising river levels. Authorities issued evacuation orders for about 2.2 million residents.

The storm also...