TOKYO (Sputnik) — According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Nangka initially hit the south of the country and is now heading in a northwesterly direction at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour (12 miles per hour), with winds of 55 meters per second (123 mph).
According to NHK General TV, six people have sustained injuries and over 235,000 Japanese residents have been advised to evacuate their homes. A storm warning is in effect on the Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku islands, as well as on the eastern coast of Japan’s largest island of Hunshu.
Nangka started off as a tropical depression on July 3, strengthening into a fully-fledged typhoon within a three-day period. Its strength peaked a week ago when the typhoon’s sustained winds reaching a speed of about 155 mph as it passed to the north of Guam.
Typhoon Nangka is the second typhoon to threaten Japan in July. Chan-Hom typhoon affected the southwest of the country, injuring about 20 people and causing the cancelation of dozens of flights.