WORLD
Typhoon Khanun pounds Okinawa Prefecture VIDEO
Baku, August 3, AZERTAC
Japanese weather officials are urging people in Okinawa Prefecture to remain on high alert as typhoon Khanun nears Miyakojima Island, according to NHK World-Japan.
The typhoon has triggered severe blackouts in the prefecture. Officials said on Thursday morning that 24 percent of households in Okinawa were without power.
The powerful storm has claimed two lives on the prefecture's main island.
On Wednesday, a 90-year-old man in Ogimi Village perished when a garage roof collapsed on him. An 89-year-old woman in Uruma City died from burns she sustained when candles being used in a blackout caused a fire.
Traffic disruptions are also continuing in the prefecture.
At least 314 flights and over 40,000 passengers are expected to be affected.
The typhoon is projected to slowly head west-northwest on Friday while maintaining its strength over the East China Sea.
Meanwhile, weather officials say the total rainfall through Sunday in Hokkaido could exceed August's usual monthly average for the northern prefecture.
They are calling on people to be on the alert for swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.