A powerful typhoon is expected to approach the Okinawa and Amami regions in southern Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says Typhoon Dolphin was located south of Japan as of 3 a.m. on Monday, and traveling west at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour.
The storm is moving away from the Ogasawara Islands, but it is forecast to approach Okinawa and Amami with strong intensity.
The typhoon is projected to head westward and bring rough seas to the Okinawa region on Wednesday and the Amami region on Thursday.
Waves on Wednesday could reach 9-meters high in Okinawa Prefecture and Tokyo’s Ogasawara Islands, and 6 meters in the Amami region.
A maximum wind speed of up to 72 kilometers an hour with gusts of up to 108 kilometers an hour is forecast for Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the maximum wind speed is expected to reach 144 kilometers per hour in Okinawa Prefecture and 82.8 kilometers per hour in the Amami region, with gusts of up to 216 kilometers per hour in Okinawa and 126 kilometers per hour in Amami.
Winds strong enough to knock down some houses could blow in parts of Okinawa Prefecture. Weather officials are advising people to take shelter in sturdy buildings or other safe places before winds intensify.
In the 24 hours through Friday morning, rainfall could reach 150 millimeters in the southern Kyushu region, 120 millimeters in Okinawa Prefecture, and 100 millimeters in the Amami region.
Weather officials are calling on people to be careful of high waves and violent winds in Okinawa and Amami through around Sunday, and high waves in southern Kyushu and the Shikoku region.
Temperatures are expected to rise mainly in western Japan on Wednesday.
Daytime highs should reach 39 degrees Celsius in the quake-hit Kumamoto City and 38 degrees in the cities of Osaka and Saga.
Heatstroke alerts have been issued for 19 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, from Niigata Prefecture to Kyushu and Okinawa.
People are advised to stay somewhere cool during the hottest hours, consume adequate amounts of water and salt, and get enough rest to prevent heatstroke.
AloJapan.com