Typhoon Namtheun makes landfall near Japan's Nagasaki City

Typhoon Namtheun made landfall near Nagasaki City on Japan's southwest island of Kyushu early Monday morning, with warnings in place for strong gusts, landslides and possible flooding, the weather agency here said.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Namtheun hit near Nagasaki at 1 a.m. local time and was moving in a northward direction at a relatively slow speed of 15 kilometers per hour, meaning that the effects brought on by the storm will be protracted compared to previous typhoons that have hit the nation recently.

The JMA said that Namtheum has a central atmospheric pressure of 1,002 hectopascals with the storm logging wind speeds of between 64 and 72 meters per hour near its center and through a radius of 70 kilometers from the center of the storm.

As of 6 a.m. local time, Namtheum was located some 30 kilometers northwest of Fukuoka City, with wide swathes in the region, including Kumamoto Prefecture which is still reeling in the wake of powerful earthquakes which rocked the area in April, under advisories for possible flooding and landslides.

Neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, on the southern tip of Japan's Kyushu island, was hit by the storm's powerful winds, and a man was knocked down and sustained head injuries, local media reported Monday morning.

The weather agency said the typhoon would likely shift and chart an easterly trajectory, but as much as 150 millimeters of rain are expected through the next 24 hours in northern Kyushu, as well as broad in areas on the main island of Shikoku. Heavy rain is also expected in Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture in central Honshu and surrounding areas.

Japan's Kansai region, including Osaka, is forecast to receive around 180 mm of rain and in Hiroshima and nearby regions, the weather agency has warned that rainfall could total 120 mm. Endit