TOKYO - A large and very strong typhoon is moving in a northwesterly direction off Japan's southern islands, the weather agency said Friday, warning of possible torrential rainfall in the region.
Typhoon Champi, the year's 30th, is forecast to pass near a group of islets southwest of Okinawa Island through Saturday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The agency urged caution against gusts of wind, rising tides and natural disasters. It also warned that the remote islands could see linear rainbands form between Friday and Saturday, with the phenomenon potentially bringing localized downpours over prolonged periods.
The typhoon is forecast to lose intensity near the Tsushima Strait between the main island of Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula as it changes course toward the east.
In Okinawa Prefecture, gusts of up to 198 kilometers per hour on Friday and 180 kph on Saturday are expected. The agency also anticipates up to 250 millimeters of rainfall over a 24-hour period through 6 a.m. Saturday, and up to an additional 120 mm over the 24 hours after that, with higher totals possible if linear rainbands form.
Waves as high as 12 meters may be seen in Okinawa Prefecture on Friday and Saturday, according to the agency.
At 5 a.m. on Friday, the typhoon was located south of Okinawa, moving northwest at a speed of 15 kph, with atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals at its center.
