TOKYO; Typhoon Champi, categorised as large and violent, was moving westward south of Okinawa Prefecture on Thursday morning, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Also known as Typhoon No. 30, it is expected to approach the Sakishima Islands in the prefecture as early as Friday with “very strong” intensity. The JMA has urged caution against gale-force winds and landslides.
According to the JMA, as of 9am on Thursday, Typhoon Champi was heading west-northwest at 20kph. Its central atmospheric pressure was 915 hectopascals, and the maximum wind speed near its centre was 55 metres per second (198kph).
Maximum instantaneous wind speeds in Okinawa are expected to reach 55 metres per second (198kph) on Friday and Saturday, raising the risk of violent winds strong enough to collapse homes. Rainfall over the 24-hour period ending at 6am on Friday is forecast to reach 150 millimetres in some areas of Okinawa.
After moving through the East China Sea, the typhoon is expected to turn northeast and may approach western Japan as early as Monday. - Japan News/ANN
