A powerful typhoon was moving toward the archipelago Monday with sustained strength and could make landfall by Wednesday, the Meteorological Agency said.
The agency warned of thunderstorms, strong winds and high waves in southwestern and western Japan as Typhoon Guchol, the fourth of the year, was around 450 km south of Naha, Okinawa, at 9 a.m. Monday and moving northward at about 25 kph.
The typhoon was expected to approach Okinawa and threaten Shikoku Tuesday night. It could land in areas ranging from western to eastern Japan by Wednesday, the agency said.
With an atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals at its core, the typhoon was packing winds of up to around 160 kph near its center and 90 kph or more in areas within a 150-km radius, likely bringing strong winds to southwestern, western and central Japan on Tuesday.