Powerful Typhoon Trami on course to lash Okinawa, Amami Islands on Sept. 29

TOKYO -- The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is warning of strong winds, high waves and heavy rain as powerful Typhoon Trami remains on course to lash the southernmost island prefecture of Okinawa and the neighboring Amami Islands on Sept. 29, before moving on toward western Japan.

Trami, the 24th typhoon of the year, was about 420 kilometers southeast of the southern Okinawan island of Miyako as of 3 a.m. on Sept. 28, and was moving slowly northwest, the agency said.

The typhoon had a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals, and had a maximum wind speed near its center of 45 meters per second (162 kilometers per hour), with maximum gusts of 60 m/s (216 kph). Wind speeds of 25 m/s (90 kph) and above were measured within a 220-kilometer radius of the typhoon's eye.

Trami is expected to lash Okinawa, the Amami Islands, and southern Kyushu with extremely strong winds of between 23 and 50 m/s (82.8 and 180 kph), with maximum gusts hitting 70 m/s (252 kph) in the Okinawa area.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Okinawa and the Amami Islands over the 24-hour period ending 6 a.m. on Sept. 29, the agency said, with as much as 200 millimeters projected for Okinawa and 150 millimeters for the Amami Islands.

Heavy precipitation is forecast to continue into the following day, with 200 to 300 millimeters expected for Okinawa, the Amami Islands, southern Kyushu and the island of Shikoku in the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. on Sept. 30. Over the same period, 150 to 200 millimeters of rain is forecast to fall in northern Kyushu, 100 to 200 millimeters in southwestern Japan's Chugoku region, the central Tokai region, and the eastern Kanto-Koshin region, including Tokyo. The Kinki area of western Japan and the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan are expected to see 100 to 150 millimeters of rain.

The agency is warning of landslides, and flooding of rivers in low-lying areas. It is also calling for residents to be on their guard against lightning strikes and tornados accompanying unstable atmospheric conditions.

Residents are also advised to prepare early for possible disruptions to transport systems and blackouts in areas in the typhoon's path.

(Mainichi)