Strong typhoon approaches Japan

A large and powerful typhoon was heading towards western Japan Thursday, threatening to bring strong winds and torrential rain to large parts of the country. Typhoon Talas had maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometres per hour and gusts of 180 kilometres per hour as of 6 pm (0900 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. This season's 12th typhoon could make landfall in western or central Japan Friday or Saturday, the agency was quoted as saying DPA - the German Press Agency. Rains up to 300 to 500 millimetres were forecast for some areas of eastern and western Japan in a 24-hour period through Friday evening. The outer bands of the storm were already affecting Japan Thursday, causing heavy rains that flooded more than 140 houses in areas north of Tokyo, the public broadcaster NHK reported. As of Thursday evening, Talas was travelling north-north-west at 15 kilometres per hour over waters off the southern coast of Japan's mainland.