Typhoon Dolphin, moving slowly, approached Japan's southern remote islands on Friday, prompting the closure of a main airport on Okinawa and grounding all flights in and out of the island. Hundreds of people took shelter at evacuation centers, according to infohub.kz.
As of late Friday morning, the typhoon was near Yoron Island and heading west toward the main island of Okinawa, with maximum winds of 144 kilometers per hour (89 mph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Three men in their 70s were slightly injured — two were caught in the wind, and a third fell from a stool, apparently blown off by the wind while preparing for the storm, the Okinawa prefecture said. Naha Airport on Okinawa Island closed Friday, canceling all domestic and international flights in and out of Naha. By midday Friday, 240 people had taken shelter at evacuation centers across Okinawa.
With Dolphin expected to affect part of Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, residents whose houses were damaged by last week's deadly earthquake were placing blue tarps on roofs and walls to prevent water damage. The agency predicted strong winds, heavy rain, and high waves in the Okinawa region through Sunday, urging residents to stay indoors.
The storm is expected to weaken over the weekend as it heads toward China's eastern coast, where it is forecast to make landfall Monday morning.