Photo/Illutration (The Asahi Shimbun)

People in northern Japan are being urged to brace for very stormy weather conditions as Typhoon No. 5 looks set to make landfall on on Aug. 12.

The typhoon is currently moving northward over the sea east of Japan.

Intermittent heavy rain is forecast to fall in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region from Aug. 11. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging residents to make early preparations to avoid damage from landslides, swollen rivers and howling winds.

Authorities said the typhoon is expected to gradually shift its course westward on Aug. 11 and pound northern Honshu island with stormy weather the following day.

JMA officials warned the typhoon may dump more than the normal August monthly total rainfall on the Tohoku region.

Up to 300 millimeters of rainfall was forecast in the Tohoku region in the 24 hours until noon on Aug. 12.

Officials said the Hokuriku region can expect up to 120 mm rain while up to 50 mm of rainfall is expected in Hokkaido and the Kanto-Koshin region during the same period.

“This amount of rainfall is rare in the Tohoku region, and there is a good chance that it will be the largest ever recorded in many areas,” a JMA official told a news conference on Aug. 10.

As of noon on Aug. 10, the typhoon had a central pressure of 985 hectopascals, a maximum wind speed of 90 kph near the center and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 126 kph. It is moving north at a speed of 15 kph.

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