Tropical Depression Shanshan as of 12 a.m. J.S.T. ？ Wind speed

       23 m.p.h. max. sustained

       Location

       WSW of Tokyo 182 miles away

       Direction

       NNW at 13 m.p.h.

       Typhoon Shanshan was churning toward southwestern Japan on Tuesday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds, forcing some flight cancellations and disrupting the country’s high-speed rail network.

       The powerful storm had sustained wind gusts of up to 120 miles per hour on Tuesday, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane, according to the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

       As the typhoon slowly approaches the Amami Islands, an archipelago southwest of Japan’s mainland, it is expected to dump up to 16 inches of rain on the islands from midday Tuesday to midday Wednesday, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. Later in the week, parts of western Japan may receive nearly two feet of rain within 24 hours. The agency warned of the potential for widespread floods and landslides.

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       After approaching the Amami Islands, the storm is predicted to shift north on Wednesday and approach Kyushu, one of Japan’s main islands, by Thursday. It may make landfall in Kyushu, the agency said, but forecasters are uncertain about its exact path.

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       Sources: National Hurricane Center and Joint Typhoon Warning Center All times on the map are Japan time. Map shows probabilities of at least 5 percent. The forecast is for up to five days, with that time span starting up to three hours before the reported time that the storm reaches its latest location. Wind speed probability data is not available north of 60.25 degrees north latitude. By William B. Davis, John Keefe and Bea Malsky

       Typhoon Shanshan Approaches Japan, Bringing Heavy Rain and Winds - The New York Times

       Because the typhoon is moving slowly, the Amami region and western Japan will experience long periods of violent or very strong winds and rain, the agency said.

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