Nathaniel Cruz (L), operations chief of the Philippines government weather service, monitors the course of tropical storm Parma and Typhoon Melor through an image transmitted by a weather satellite at the government agency's offices in Manila. (Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images)
Typhoon Melor is expected to make landfall in central Japan, which could include the industrial centre of Nagoya, on Thursday between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. (1700 to 2100 GMT Wednesday) and some areas could see more rain in 24 hours than their average in one month, the Meteorological Agency said.
"This is a very dangerous course that will vertically pass through the (Japanese) islands," Akira Muranaka, an official at the Meteorological Agency, told a news conference.
The eye of the storm was 260 km (160 miles) south of Cape Muroto, 580 km west of Tokyo, at 7 p.m. (1000 GMT), the agency reported.
Television showed waves pounding the shores as the typhoon moved north-northeast towards the main island of Honshu. Some media reports recalled a deadly 2004 storm that killed 95 people and brought transport links to a standstill.
Up to 500 mm (20 inches) of rain is forecast over the next 24 hours in the Tokai region, which includes Nagoya, the agency said. This is more than the average monthly rainfall for the month of October for some areas in Tokai, an official at Nagoya Local Meteorological Observatory said.
The Meteorological Agency also warned of high waves and gales throughout Japan.
"The trees fell ... When we went out for checks, it was difficult to stay standing," an employee at Coral Palm Resort Hotel on Amami island, about 1,300 km (807 miles) southwest of Tokyo, told Reuters on the phone.
Flights Cancelled
Schools were set to be closed on Thursday in many areas including Tokyo and over 220 flights were cancelled, Japanese media reported.
Toyota Motor Corp said it would halt operations at its 12 parent company car plants in central Japan for a day on Thursday, while Suzuki Motor Corp also said it would stop production for a day at six car and bike plants in central Japan on Thursday.Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said there could be landslides and floods.
"I would like for those in relevant areas to remain cautious and... to respond quickly," he told a news conference.
The storm cut power to around 4,300 customers in southern Japan, Kyushu Electric Power Co said.
Some oil firms halted shipments although the storm has not so far affected refinery production. Nippon Oil Corp, Idemitsu Kosan Co and Japan Energy Corp said they have or would halt oil shipments due to the typhoon.
Melor, which had earlier been classed as a Category 5 Super Typhoon, has been downgraded to Category 2, according to storm tracking website Tropical Storm Risk. A Category 2 storm can bring winds of up to 177 kph (110 mph).
Heavy rainfall has disrupted much of the Japan Open men's tennis tournament in Tokyo and the typhoon could force the postponement of Thursday's soccer Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong.
An average of about three such storms hit Japan each year, although there were none last year.
