Photo/Illutration A satellite photo taken by NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite shows Typhoon No. 19 approaching Japan, top, on Oct. 9. (NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System via AP)

Weather agency officials urged the public to take safety measures against Typhoon No. 19 before Oct. 11, when strong winds are expected to start pummeling the Pacific coast of the Honshu main island in the afternoon, bringing heavy rain.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that as of noon on Oct. 10, the typhoon was about 440 kilometers southwest of Chichijima island of the Ogasawara chain, moving in a northerly direction at 20 kph.

Winds at the center of the storm, which is losing little strength, were as high as 198 kph, with gusts reaching 270 kph.

The area within a 240-km radius of the typhoon's center had strong winds of about 90 kph.

The typhoon is expected to bring warm, humid air from the south, causing heavy rain along the Pacific coast of western Japan as well as wide areas of eastern Japan.

The JMA said that areas in the Tokai region could get as much as 200-300 millimeters of rain, with levels possibly reaching 100-150 mm in Shikoku, over the 24-hour period until 6 a.m. on Oct. 12.

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