Typhoon expected to make landfall in western Japan Tues. Afternoon

TOKYO. KAZINFORM A powerful typhoon is expected to make landfall in western Japan on Tuesday afternoon, with the weather agency warning of heavy rain and strong winds in both western and eastern regions of the country and airlines canceling more than 600 flights.

Typhoon Jebi is expected to come very close to the main island of Shikoku or the Kii Peninsula around noon and make landfall there, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency, which also warned of high waves, has called on the public to be vigilant against flooding and mudslides caused by the typhoon, KYODO NEWS reports.

Categorized as "very strong" based on its top wind speeds, Jebi would be the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since 1993 if it maintains its force, an agency official said at a press conference Monday.

As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jebi was traveling about 130 kilometers south of Cape Ashizuri in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, at a speed of about 35 km per hour. It was packing winds of up to 216 kph with an atmospheric pressure of 945 hectopascals at its center.

Japan has been hit by a succession of typhoons recently, with western parts of the country devastated by massive flooding and landslides that left more than 220 people dead in July.