A large and strong typhoon was heading north by northeast Thursday in waters south of Kyushu and may approach the northern part of the island by morning, according to the Meteorological Agency said.
The agency forecast that the season's 18th typhoon would proceed north and gain speed, with a good chance of hitting southern Kyushu around midnight Thursday.
The typhoon, packing winds of more than 90 kph, is then projected to move eastward and pummel western Japan before proceeding to northern Honshu and Hokkaido, it said.
The agency warned of heavy rainfall across a wide area ranging from Kyushu to central Japan, saying that damage could rival that caused by Typhoon No. 19 in 1991, which killed 62.
All domestic flights to and from Naha in Okinawa were canceled Thursday morning due to the typhoon.