Typhoon Haiyan, packing winds of up to 108 kph, turned Okinawa and the Amami Islands into a storm zone Wednesday morning, the Meteorological Agency said.
At noon, Haiyan, the season's 21st typhoon, was located about 110 km west-northwest of Okinoerabujima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, and heading east-northeast at 20 kph, according to the agency.
The typhoon has an atmospheric pressure of 970 hectopascals at its center, where the maximum wind speed was up to 108 kph, meteorologists said.
The agency warned of strong winds, heavy rain and high tides in the area.
In areas of southern Kyushu and Shikoku, 150 to 200 mm of rain is expected by Thursday morning, while 100 to 150 mm is expected on Amami Island, northern Kyushu, the Kii Peninsula and the Tokai region. Some 80 to 100 mm of rain is expected for the Kanto-Koshin area and Izu islands, the agency said.
Transportation systems in Okinawa Prefecture were disrupted by the storm, with 45 domestic and three international flights departing Okinawa, and 29 incoming flights, canceled.