Severe tropical storm Jangmi brings strong winds to Okinawa

Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi is approaching Okinawa's main island and bringing extremely strong winds.

Weather officials are warning people in affected areas to take precautions against strong winds, high waves and landslides.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says Jangmi was south-southwest of Naha City and moving north at 15 kilometers per hour as of noon on Monday. It notes wind gusts could reach 162 kilometers per hour in Okinawa and Amami through Tuesday.

Strong winds have already damaged parts of Okinawa. Firefighters in Naha City had to secure a wooden utility pole to a building to prevent it from falling.

Officials expect up to 250 millimeters of rain in Okinawa and Amami in the next 24 hours.

The storm is expected to approach western to eastern Japan through Wednesday. It could bring heavy rain to areas along Japan's Pacific coast.

About 400 flights have been canceled for Monday. They were primarily in and out of Okinawa.

More than 160 additional flights scheduled for Tuesday have now been cancelled as well.

Airline operators are asking passengers to check their websites for the latest information.

According to weather officials, it's possible level 4 alerts could be issued in the affected areas.

Level 4 is a new category under Japan's revised disaster information announcement system that indicates an Urgent Warning. It means people should evacuate from areas considered dangerous.

In the meantime, officials are calling on people in those areas to take precautions and to prepare early.

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