Typhoon To Approach Japan Over Weekend
Japan's Meteorological Agency is warning that a powerful typhoon will approach or land in the country's main southwestern island of Kyushu at close to full strength between Sunday and Monday.
Weather officials are calling on people to start preparing as soon as possible for Typhoon Haishen.
The agency says Haishen was over the ocean south of Japan early on Friday, heading west-north-west. It is packing maximum winds of more than 160 kilometers per hour near its center and wind gusts up to 216 kilometers per hour.
Forecasters say it will develop further and change course to the north, approaching the Daitojima region of Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday.
Winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour are expected in Okinawa, with wind gusts of up to 252 kilometers per hour through Saturday.
Waves around Okinawa are expected to reach as high as 13 meters.
Officials say Haishen will strengthen as it approaches the Amami islands and the Kyushu region between Sunday and Monday. They say it could land in Kyushu. Wind gusts are forecast to reach 288 kilometers per hour around this time.
Officials are also warning of torrential rain in the Okinawa and Amami regions on Saturday through Sunday, and in Kyushu between Sunday and Monday.
