Fierce typhoon on way to main Japan islands

A man crosses a street amid strong winds from Typhoon Neoguri in Naha, Okinawa, southern Japan, on Tuesday.
A man crosses a street amid strong winds from Typhoon Neoguri in Naha, Okinawa, southern Japan, on Tuesday.

TOKYO -- One of the biggest and strongest typhoons to hit during Japan's summer months churned past Okinawa toward the country's main islands early today, weakening slightly but dumping torrential rains in its wake.

      

Forecasts for unusually heavy rains prompted a fresh emergency warning, and workers scrambled to clear drains and roads to minimize damage in Okinawa from the typhoon, which left 20 people injured, one seriously.

The Japan Meteorological Agency was forecasting that parts of Shikoku, in western Japan, could receive the equivalent of three months of the normal amount of rainfall in just two days as the storm passes, if it remains on its current trajectory.

The slow-moving storm was expected to reach Kyushu, the next main island in its path, sometime Thursday.

Typhoon Neoguri was packing sustained winds of 80 mph and gusts up to 114 mph this morning, far lower than the winds of up to 155 mph reported at its peak, the Meteorological Agency said.

Though it was weakening, forecasters said the storm's wide area and slow movement could add to the potential damage. Japan is relatively well prepared for typhoons, but officials said heavy downpours could cause landslides and flooding if the typhoon moves across the Japanese archipelago as expected on Thursday or Friday.

"Please refrain from nonessential activities and from approaching hazardous areas," said Meteorological Agency official Satoshi Ebihara. "Please show extreme caution."

Airports were closed Tuesday and nearly 600,000 people were advised to evacuate their homes. Most stayed put, taking refuge from the destructive winds, waves up to 46 feet high and storm surges that were set to intensify as the storm passed the main island of Okinawa in the evening and headed north toward Kyushu. Almost 100,000 homes remained out of electricity late Tuesday.

More than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops in Japan are based in Okinawa, the location of several bases, including Kadena, the biggest U.S. air base in Asia. An advisory on its website said all outdoor activity was prohibited because of the storm.

Authorities in China and Taiwan also warned ships to stay clear of the storm.

Neoguri is a Korean word meaning "raccoon dog," a knee-high animal that looks like a cross between a dog and a raccoon but is a separate species common in East Asia.

Information for this article was contributed by Jim Gomez and Mari Yamaguchi of The Associated Press.

A Section on 07/09/2014

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