Typhoon Mawar losing strength as it heads toward Japan's Okinawa Islands

School children on a field trip walk past plants covered with a net in preparation for Typhoon Mawar in Naha, southern Japan, on My 31, 2023. - AP

NAHA, Japan (AP): Typhoon Mawar appeared to be losing force as it headed Wednesday (May 31) toward Japan's Okinawa Islands, where the United States maintains a significant military presence, after largely skirting Taiwan and the Philippines.

After tearing across Guam last week, Mawar passed by Taiwan on Tuesday with sustained winds of 155 kph (96 mph) and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph), sending high waves crashing on the island's east coast.