The forecast path of Typhoon In-fa is shown as of 5 p.m. on July 21, 2021. (Image from the Japan Meteorological Agency website)

       TOKYO -- Strong Typhoon In-fa, located east-southeast of Miyako Island in Japan's southernmost Okinawa Prefecture on the afternoon of July 21, is expected to bring violent winds to the Sakishima Islands that include Miyako and Ishigaki islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

       The sixth typhoon of the year was located approximately 200 kilometers east-southeast of Miyako Island as of 3 p.m. on July 21, and slowly moving westward. It had a central atmospheric pressure of 965 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed near its center of 40 meters per second (144 kilometers per hour). It is expected to gain force while traveling farther west over waters east of Miyako Island, and approach the Sakishima Islands by July 24.

       The JMA is warning of strong winds and large waves in the waters near the Sakishima Islands. The agency says Typhoon In-fa is expected to bring winds of up to 30 m/s (108 kph) with a maximum gust speed of 45 m/s (162 kph) to the Sakishima Islands on July 21. Winds of up to 20 m/s (72 kph) are forecast for Okinawa's main island with a maximum instant gust speed of 30 m/s, and winds of up to 18 m/s (64.8 kph) for the Daito Islands with a gust speed of 25 m/s (90 kph).

       In the 24-hour period until 6 p.m. on July 22, up to 200 millimeters of rain is expected to fall on the Sakishima Islands and 100 millimeters on Okinawa's main island. The agency is warning of mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas and swollen rivers in those island areas.

       (Mainichi)

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