Japan warns powerful typhoon to hit southern region on Sunday

TOKYO: The Japan Meteorological Agency warned on Saturday of a large and powerful typhoon expected to reach landfall in the southern island of Kyushu on Sunday.

The agency said it may issue a “special warning” for Kagoshima prefecture and the northern part of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, with the possibility of high waves and heavy rains in the regions.

Typhoon Nanmadol, the 14th of the season, was near Japan’s southern Minami-Daito Island heading northwest at 20 km (12 miles) per hour on Saturday afternoon. The storm is forecast to curve east and pass over Tokyo on Tuesday before moving out to sea by Wednesday.

Such emergency warnings are only issued when an extraordinary natural phenomenon that occurs once in a few decades is predicted. The agency said it may issue the most serious typhoon alert as early as Saturday evening for Kagoshima and other areas in Kyushu.