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Powerful typhoon poised to strike southern Japan
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-29 13:34

A powerful typhoon loomed off southwestern Japan Sunday, threatening large areas of the country with fierce wind and rain.

The storm, which is expected to hit Kyushu island early on Monday, is likely to be Japan's strongest this year, with winds at its center gusting up to 100 mph.

Television showed pictures of flooded houses in outlying southern islands and huge waves battering the coast.

The arrival of Chaba, which means "hibiscus" in Thai, coincides with the highest tides of the year, leading to increased worry about damage.

On Sunday morning, Chaba was 85 miles east of the island of Amami Oshima, 335 miles southwest of Tokyo, traveling west northwest at 10 mph, the Meteorological Agency said.

The slow speed of the typhoon is likely to mean it sits over areas and batters them for longer, with heavy rain expected to cause more damage.

Transport was badly disrupted in southern Japan, with 244 flights canceled, stranding 15,000 people, Kyodo news agency reported.

After hitting Kyushu island, Chaba is expected to turn to the northeast, the Meteorological Agency said.

It is then forecast to move along Japan's western coast on a path similar to that of typhoon Megi, which set off landslides and flooding that killed 10 people in Japan and at least three in South Korea this month.



 
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