Sep 13 (NHK) - Typhoon Muifa is moving away from the Sakishima Islands in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa, but weather officials say stormy conditions are expected to continue in the area around Ishigaki Island on Tuesday.
The officials say the powerful typhoon was 180 kilometers north of Ishigaki Island at noon on Tuesday, and moving north at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour.
The typhoon has a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals. It is packing winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour near its center, with peak gusts reaching 216 kilometers per hour.
Gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour are forecast for the Sakishima islands throughout the day.
Seas around the islands will remain very rough until before noon on Wednesday, with waves expected to reach a height of 9 meters.
