Typhoon Bavi Seen Coming Closest to Okinawa Islands Sat.

Tokyo, July 9 (Jiji Press)--Typhoon Bavi is forecast to make its closest approach to the Sakishima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, from early to late morning Saturday while maintaining its severe intensity.

As the typhoon is expected to bring violent winds and rough seas from Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency on Thursday urged residents in areas likely to be affected to make preparations early to minimize possible damage and remain on high alert for strong winds, high waves and heavy rain.

The ninth typhoon of the year is projected to make landfall in mainland China on Sunday and turn into a tropical cyclone by Monday afternoon.

Due to the approaching typhoon, Japan Airlines is set to cancel a total of 48 flights departing from and arriving at Okinawa and the Amami Islands region in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Friday, while All Nippon Airways decided to cancel 34 flights serving the same regions on Friday and 33 on Saturday.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, the typhoon was traveling west-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour over waters east of the northern Philippines, with a central atmospheric pressure of 930 hectopascals, a maximum sustained wind speed of 50 meters per second and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 70 meters per second.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]