A powerful typhoon moved westward toward Japan\u2019s southwestern islands on Friday, prompting the country’s weather agency to warn of heavy rainfall and strong winds across the Okinawa, Amami and southern Kyushu regions through the weekend. <\/p>\n
Kumamoto Prefecture, which was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake last week, is expected to face powerful winds and heavy rain from Friday through Saturday, Kyodo<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that the already unstable ground could increase the risk of landslides following the recent quake.<\/p>\n Rainfall over the 24-hour period ending at noon on Saturday is forecast to reach up to 200 millimeters in the Okinawa and Amami regions, while southern Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan\u2019s four main islands, could receive up to 180 millimeters.<\/p>\n As of 2 p.m. Friday, Typhoon Dolphin<\/a>, the 13th typhoon of the year, was located near Nago in Okinawa Prefecture and moving west-southwest at 25 kilometers per hour. The storm had a central atmospheric pressure of 940 hectopascals and was generating wind gusts of up to 198 kilometers per hour.<\/p>\n