Powerful Typhoon No. 11 as of Thursday morning was moving north in the Pacific east of Okinawa, poised to bring the Daitojima islands under a storm area and threatening to reach western Japan over the weekend.
The Meteorological Agency said the typhoon was moving north-northeast over the ocean about 150 km south of Minamidaitojima Island at a speed of 10 kph as of 6 a.m., and urged attention to any additional information it may release.
The typhoon has a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and is packsing winds of up to 40 meters per second near its center, the agency said.
It is expected to move farther north without losing its strength, nearing the Daitojima islands by Thursday night and then coming close to areas around Okinawa Island and the Amami region of Kagoshima Prefecture, NHK reported, citing agency sources.
The broadcaster said on its website that the typhoon may approach western Japan over the weekend, adding the agency officials are calling for caution against storms and high waves in the areas around the Daitojima islands.