Typhoon Hagibis, thought to be the worst storm to hit Japan in six decades, bore down on the main island of Honshu on Saturday, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Millions were advised to evacuate before the storm hit, and hours before it made landfall, its approach turned the sky an eerie shade of purple in many parts of the country.
Many took to social media to share photos of the purple sky, the result of a phenomenon known as scattering, which often precedes a typhoon or hurricane.
駅からでたら、そこは魔界だった pic.twitter.com/x8blDBthOu
— しう坊 (@Desu_unknown) October 11, 2019
Scattering occurs when larger atmospheric particles are washed away by storms and heavy rain, leaving smaller ones to scatter the light and leading to a more vivid hue in the sky.
空の色がおかしい….
日本が終わる予兆か？？？ pic.twitter.com/GA5bYH4g74
— Yuu (@Yuu_xoxo1) October 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/Stardustjaem/status/1182864891792609281
Around the same time as Typhoon Hagibis hit, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the south-east of the country, and was felt across Tokyo and Chiba.
The storm is currently moving up the east coast of Japan at speeds of up to 225km/hour, and has left destruction in its wake, bursting riverbanks and causing landslides.
At least two people have been killed, with 62 injured and more than six million urged to evacuate their homes as the wind and rain bore down on Tokyo.
Residents of the capital are typically conditioned to worry about earthquakes, and have been urged not to have a “false sense of security” about the dangers of flooding.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency warned locals to”be ready for rainfall of the kind that you have never experienced” and to “take all measures necessary to save your life.”
More than 1600 flights have been grounded and train services suspended in parts of the country, and two Rugby World Cup matches scheduled for Saturday were also cancelled.
