Typhoon Lan heads for Japan

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- With gusts up to 123 mph, Typhoon Lan is expected to hit Japan's main island of Honshu on Tuesday as officials advised residents in the Tokaiand Kinki regions to be aware of significant rainfall.

Typhoon Lan has sustained winds of 89 mph as it moves toward Japan at about 9 mph, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Thunderstorms carrying severe rainfall were predicted to start on Monday.

On Friday, Lan was categorized as a Category 3 storm with winds from 111-129 mph but has since weakened to a Category 1.

"Despite the loss in wind intensity, Lan is expected to remain a formidable storm by the time it makes landfall within in the next 24 hours," AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff said.

With the storm advancing, the Central Japan Railway said all of its services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka stations will be canceled on Tuesday. The West Japan Railway will stop its bullet train services between Shin-Osaka and Okayama stations.

Japan Airlines said 19 flights had been canceled Monday, with 240 flights on Tuesday, affecting around 24,800 people. Nippon Airways said all 310 flights will be canceled Tuesday.

Universal Studios Japan's theme park in Osaka is slated to shut down on Tuesday. The park said it may delay its opening on Wednesday but it still plans to open.

The storm arrived less than two weeks after Japan's Okinawa prefecture was hit by Typhoon Khanun, which was blamed for the deaths of two people. That storm went on to hit South Korea, as well.