Sep 22 (NHK) - Japanese weather officials say Typhoon Tapah will likely approach the country's southwestern island of Kyushu on Sunday.
The Meteorological Agency estimates that as of 7 a.m. on Sunday, Tapah was situated over the East China Sea and was moving north-northeast at 20 kilometers per hour.
The agency says the storm is generating sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour and gusts of 180 kilometers per hour.
Tapah is expected to approach northern Kyushu without losing its strength. The storm is predicted to pass over the Tsushima Strait or nearby areas before heading to the Sea of Japan.
Tapah is likely to approach northern Japan from Monday onward.
Some parts of Kyushu received more than 350 millimeters of rain for the 24 hours through 7 a.m. on Sunday. Weather officials issued a mudslide alert for some areas in Miyazaki and Kumamoto prefectures.
On Sunday, Tapah will likely hit Kyushu and other areas of western Japan with powerful winds. It will also make seas rough around western and northern Japan.
Tapah is also forecast to dump heavy rain. Total rainfall for the 24 hours through Monday morning could reach more than 300 millimeters in Kyushu and Shikoku.
Tapah could even bring stormy conditions to areas away from its path.
Weather officials are warning of violent winds, high waves, mudslides, swollen rivers, and flooding.
