Powerful Typhoon Khanun lashes southwest Japanese islands

A powerful typhoon approached Japan’s southwestern island of Okinawa on Tuesday, lashing the region with strong winds and high waves.

Transportation grounded to a halt and businesses were forced to close.

Slow-moving Typhoon Khanun, which means jackfruit in Thai, was heading northwest at speeds of 15kph (9mph) on Tuesday night, packing surface winds of up to 180kph (111 mph).

It was at sea to the south east of Okinawa’s main island, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The city office in the Okinawan prefectural capital of Naha was closed due to violent winds, while supermarket chains were either shut or operating under shorter hours.

Video shown on NHK public television showed fallen trees on the streets in Naha.

No injuries were reported.

Hundreds of flights into and out of the Naha airport, including more than a dozen international flights connecting to Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei and Shanghai, were cancelled, according to the airport.

Public transportation on Okinawa, including buses, light rail transit systems and ferries connecting Okinawa to nearby islands, were also suspended.

The typhoon was expected to continue moving west and away from the main Japanese archipelago after passing by Okinawa, where it was predicted to bring rainstorms and waves as high as 12 meters (39 feet), the meteorological agency said.

Up to 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) of rainfall were expected in the Okinawa region, it said.

Officials warned residents of violent winds, high waves and flooding, and urged them to stay indoors and away from windows.