Sawt Falasteen - Typhoon Lan set to crash Japan holiday week

Typhoon Lan is on course to make landfall Tuesday on Japan's main island of Honshu, bringing heavy rain and violent gusts, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Some areas may see as much as 50 centimetres (20 inches) of rain in 24 hours to 6:00 am Tuesday (2100 GMT Monday), followed by more rain as the typhoon churns across the nation, the agency said.

"The slow speed of the typhoon could mean that its impact may last for a long time," Shuichi Tachihara, chief forecaster at the agency, told a media briefing Sunday.

"It is possible that some areas will receive more rainfall in one day than their average monthly rainfall in August," he said.

Lan approaches Japan as the nation kicks off the traditional "obon" holiday week when millions of families return to their hometowns for annual gatherings.

National television broadcasters have called on viewers to consider changing their travel plans to avoid the typhoon.

Airlines and train operators have warned about possible service cancellations and delays until the typhoon passes.

As of noon Sunday (0300 GMT), Lan was 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Hachijo-jima island in the western Pacific.

Packing gusts up to 198 kilometres (123 miles) per hour, it was moving northwest and was on track to make landfall on the Kii Peninsula on Tuesday.

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST