Typhoon Khanun eases off Japan’s Okinawa, but islands brace for return

Typhoon Khanun barely moved on Friday in the East China Sea, with predictions that it will approach Japan’s Okinawa islands again, raising fears of sustained damage in areas already battered by heavy rain and strong winds over the past two days.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said, the storm has lost strength but is still packing winds of 126 kph (78 mph) and gusts of up to 180 kph, adding that the typhoon was almost stationary.
Hovering about 270 km (168 miles) north-northwest of Okinawa’s Miyako Island as of 7 a.m. (2200 GMT), Khanun is forecast to make a sudden, sharp turn to the east on Friday evening and start heading up north toward Japan’s main islands next Tuesday.
Television footage on Thursday showed tourists stranded in Okinawa flocked to Naha Airport, which resumed operation that day after shutting down for two days, forming long queues to buy airplane tickets to leave the islands.