Strong typhoon heads for Japan, high waves forecast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Strong typhoon heads for Japan, high waves forecast*
31 Jul 2007 12:14:39 GMT
Source: Reuters
TOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - A strong typhoon in the western Pacific Ocean
headed towards Japan on Tuesday and officials said the storm was likely
to strike the country's southernmost island later in the week.
Typhoon Usagi, which means "rabbit" in Japanese, was 1,000 km (620
miles) south of Japan and was moving north northwest at 15 km (9 miles)
per hour, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
With winds of up to 180 km per hour, the centre of the storm was
forecast to reach Japan's southernmost island of Kyushu on Friday,
hitting the area with strong winds and high waves.
British-based Web site Tropical Storm Risk (www.tropicalstormrisk.com)
classified Usagi as a category 2 typhoon and forecast it would
strengthen to category 4 by Wednesday and Thursday before fading as it
brushed past Japan's main island of Honshu.
The southern island of Kyushu was hit by the powerful Typhoon Man-yi
earlier in the month. The storm killed three people and injured more
than 70.