Strong typhoon Shanshan is expected to approach southern Japan’s Amami region through Wednesday, and it is likely to bring fierce winds to the area.
People are being strongly urged to take precautions against violent winds, heavy rains and landslides.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says Shanshan was slowly moving west-northwest over the waters 120 kilometers east of Amami City, Kagoshima Prefecture as of 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Shanshan has a central atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals. It is packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour near its center, and it has wind gusts that peak at 216 kilometers per hour.
The typhoon is expected to turn northward after it moves westward, and it will likely pick up strength as it goes. It may come close to the Amami region from Tuesday through Wednesday and its intensity level may be high.
The forecasters say violent winds could continue to be seen in western Japan on Wednesday.
The typhoon is also expected to bring torrential rain to Amami and the Pacific coastal areas of western and eastern Japan through Thursday.
In the prefectures of Aichi, Gifu, Mie and Shizuoka, bands of heavy rain clouds could develop on Tuesday morning. That could sharply increase the risk of disasters.
Rainfall levels during the 24 hours through Wednesday morning could reach 300 millimeters in Amami, 200 millimeters in the Tokai region and southern Kyushu, and 100 millimeters in northern Kyushu and the regions of Shikoku and Kinki.
The seas are expected to become extremely rough, with swells mainly off Amami and western Japan.
The Meteorological Agency is strongly urging people to watch out for violent winds, high waves, landslides, and floods in low-lying areas. It is also calling on individuals to be on guard against swollen and flooded rivers.