At least 47 people were missing as torrential rain that has killed 27 people pounded western and central Japan, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday, with more than 1.6 million people ordered to evacuate. Japans Meteorological Agency issued special weather warnings across four prefectures in the west of Japans main island of Honshu, urging vigilance against landslides, rising rivers and strong winds amid what it called "historic" rains. Among the dead were a man who fell from a bridge into a river in the western city of Hiroshima, and a 77-year-old man in Takashima, about 56 kilometres east of Kyoto, who was swept into a canal as he worked to remove debris, NHK said. Five other people in Ehime, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures were in critical condition after being injured in landslides, the broadcaster said. By Saturday morning, more than 1.6 million people had been ordered to evacuate their homes for fear of flooding and further landslides, with 3.1 million more advised to leave, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his ministers to "make an all-out effort" to rescue victims, saying: "The situation is extremely serious." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said around 48,000 police, firefighters and members of Japans Self-Defense Forces were responding to appeals for help.