Japan was on Friday bracing for a large and strong typhoon that was closing in from the south-west, threatening to bring torrential rain and strong winds to many parts of the country. Typhoon Talas was showing maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of 180 kph as of 11 am (0200 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. This season's 12th typhoon was travelling north-north-west at 10 kph, about 300 kilometres south of Cape Muroto on the south-western island of Shikoku, the agency was quoted as saying by DPA. Talas could make landfall in western Japan early Saturday, the agency said. Rainfall of up to 700 millimetres was forecast for central and western Japan through early Saturday. The outer bands of the storm were already affecting Japan Friday, causing heavy rains in wide areas of eastern and western parts of the country.
