Typhoon Nepartak likely to make landfall in Japan on Tuesday

Tokyo: Typhoon Nepartak, currently moving northward from the Pacific, is likely to make landfall on Tuesday on Japan's main island including Tokyo, where the Olympic Games are underway, authorities said on Monday.

Since Typhoon Nepartak is expected to move west and approach the eastern and northeastern parts of Japan, some Olympic events may be affected by the weather, Xinhua news quoted the Japan Meteorological Agency as saying.

The weather agency has warned about heavy rain, winds and high waves.

As of Monday afternoon, typhoon Nepartak, the eighth of the year, was moving northwest at about 35 km per hour in the Pacific.

The atmospheric pressure at its centre was 992 hectopascals, and wind speed was as high as 108 kph.

It is expected that in the 24 hours through noon Tuesday, the rainfall will reach 150 mm in the Tohoku and 100 mm in the Kanto-Koshin region, including Tokyo.

The Tokyo Organszing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said that it currently plans to hold Tuesday's games as scheduled, except for the rowing and archery games, which have been rescheduled to avoid possible interruption, local media reported.

"We'd like to secure the safety of all people related to the event. We will notify as soon as possible if any changes are made," said Masanori Takaya, an official of the organizing committee.

Takaya added that the committee will promptly release information, especially if the weather affects events with spectators, including a football match in Miyagi prefecture.

The weather agency has issued warnings about landslides and floods caused by heavy rains and suggested to be aware of severe wind gusts such as tornadoes as well as lightning strikes.