JAPAN’S death toll from Typhoon Hagibis climbed to over 30 today, with hundreds of people injured or still missing.

The storm smashed into central and northern Japan yesterday evening with wind gusts of up to 134 miles per hour, causing 14 rivers to burst their banks and flood surrounding areas. 

Deaths occurred mostly from landslides burying homes or people being swept away by floodwater. 

A woman in her seventies fell 40 metres to her death while being winched up into a rescue helicopter. 

Tokyo Fire Department officials apologised and acknowledged that the woman had not been strapped in properly. 

More than 1,280 homes were flooded, according to the government’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. 

Aerial footage showed people on a rooftop waving a white cloth to attract the attention of rescue services, and boats and helicopters picking up people stranded in their homes. 

Evacuation centres had been set up in coastal towns to accommodate tens of thousands of people seeking shelter.