Okinawa

A powerful U.S. missile system deployed to Japan for joint exercises with the Self-Defense Forces will be stored indefinitely at a key military base in Okinawa Prefecture from mid-October, the Japan Times reports. The open-ended arrangement, rather than withdrawal after training, is likely to fuel debate in Okinawa over the growing U.S. military footprint and tensions with China and North Korea.

Typhoon No. 26 is forecast to approach Japan's Okinawa region by the 28th with 'very strong' intensity, according to Japan Weather Association forecaster Toru Fujikawa. Authorities are urging residents to prepare for high waves and other dangerous conditions as the storm nears.

Typhoon No. 26 is approaching Okinawa, while heavy rain batters parts of Kyushu. In Nagasaki Prefecture, a landslide has been reported amid the downpours. Japanese broadcasters, including TV Asahi, are tracking the storm's path and urging residents in Okinawa, Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Nagasaki to stay alert to flooding and further landslides.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a tornado advisory (No. 1) for Nagasaki Prefecture, prompting local weather disaster alerts. Okinawa Times is among outlets carrying the news. Residents are being urged to watch for sudden gusts, lightning and hail, and to seek sturdy shelter if conditions deteriorate.