Typhoon Lan is forecast to approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, on Friday. Weather officials are warning of fierce winds and heavy rain. Lan may cause stormy weather in Japan's main island early next week.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that as of 7 p.m. on Thursday, Typhoon Lan was moving northwest at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour over waters 170 kilometers southeast of Chichijima Island.

Lan had a maximum wind speed of 126 kilometers per hour near its center, and a storm zone with winds of over 90 kilometers per hour within a 130-kilometer radius.

The storm is expected to head north and come closest to the Ogasawara Islands on Friday as it continues to develop.

Fierce winds that could knock over some utility poles or blow off parts of buildings are expected to batter the islands. Maximum wind speeds of 90 kilometers per hour are forecast for Thursday, and winds of up to 126 kilometers per hour are possible on Friday. It will be very rough at sea.

Heavy rain is forecast for the Ogasawara Islands from late Thursday night through Saturday.

Up to 250 millimeters of rain may drench some areas of the islands in the 24 hours through late Friday afternoon, and up to 200 millimeters in the next 24 hours.

Residents of the islands are advised to stay on the alert for strong winds, high waves, landslides, and flooding.

Lan is expected to head further north toward the Izu Islands, bringing rough seas from Saturday.

The typhoon is then forecast to move northwest over the Pacific, and could approach Japan's main island of Honshu next Tuesday without losing its strength. Eastern and western Japan may be hit by stormy weather from Monday, which falls during the annual Bon holiday period.