Japan hit by more extreme weather

Workers were cleaning up in Okinawa after Trami hit. Photo / AP

A powerful typhoon has hammered Japan and authorities warned people to brace for heavy winds and rain in areas that include those devastated by a previous storm.

Packing maximum gusts of 216km/h near its centre, Typhoon Trami was forecast to hit the mainland yesterday and cause extreme weather across the country into today.

Many flights were cancelled at major airports throughout Japan yesterday, including Tokyo's Narita and Haneda. The storm caused damage and destroyed power lines on the southwestern islands of Okinawa on Saturday.

In its projected course were regions hit last month by Typhoon Jebi, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years. Jebi triggered landslides and floods and caused 11 deaths in and around Osaka.

Japan's weather agency yesterday warned people across the country to be on alert for strong winds, high waves and heavy rain.

"The typhoon is feared to bring record rainfalls and violent winds over large areas," agency official Yasushi Kajiwara told reporters.

"Please stay on alert, evacuate early and ensure your safety," the official said.

If the forecast holds, it will be the latest in a series of extreme natural events to strike Japan.

Deadly record rains also hit western Japan this year and the country sweltered through one of the hottest summers on record.

Also in September, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake rocked the northern island of Hokkaido, sparking landslides and leaving more than 40 people dead.

- AP