A large and strong typhoon is bringing heavy rains and powerful winds to parts of southwestern Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says Typhoon Mitag was over waters about 290 kilometers north of Okinawa's island of Yonaguni at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

It was moving north at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

Strong winds are expected to continue on Okinawa's Sakishima Islands through Tuesday morning.

A maximum wind speed of over 155 kilometers per hour was observed in the city of Ishigaki at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

The typhoon is expected to change course and head Northeast on Wednesday.

It could bring strong winds to northern Kyushu and heavy rain to western Japan from Wednesday to Thursday.

The communications failure forced the cancellation of more than a dozen Ishigaki airport flights.

NHK