Japanese weather officials say Tropical Storm Songda will make a very close approach to the Amami region in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan, on Friday night.

They expect the storm and warm air will dump at least 50 millimeters of rain per hour on some parts of Kyushu and Shikoku through Saturday.

The rain is expected to intensify at night. Officials are urging people living near cliffs, rivers and low-lying areas to check evacuation advice from their local municipalities to stay safe.

The Meteorological Agency says Tropical Storm Songda was moving west-northwest at 45 kilometers per hour over waters 100 kilometers southeast of Yakushima Island as of 6 p.m. on Friday.

The agency says Songda has a central atmospheric pressure of 1002 hectopascals, with maximum winds of about 65 kilometers per hour, and gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

The typhoon is packing winds of at least 54 kilometers per hour within 560 kilometers north, and 370 kilometers south of its center.

Forecasters say warm air has created heavy rain clouds in parts of the Kinki region, eastern Japan and Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan. They are warning against mudslides in Fukushima.

Atmospheric conditions in southern Kyushu, the Amami and Tokara islands, and Shikoku will be extremely unstable until Saturday.
Many areas in these regions will be hit by heavy thundershowers. Precipitation will exceed 50 millimeters per hour in some places.

Maximum rainfall in the 24 hours through late Saturday afternoon will reach 250 millimeters in southern Kyushu and Shikoku, and 150 millimeters in the Amami region.

In the next 24 hours into Sunday, the rainfall will reach 100 to 200 millimeters in southern Kyushu, and 100 to 150 millimeters in the Amami region and Shikoku.

The approaching storm is expected to spawn maximum winds of 72 kilometers per hour in the Amami region and southern Kyushu with gusts of over 108 kilometers per hour.

Heaving, choppy waves are expected off Okinawa, Amami and Kyushu.

Temperatures rose to over 35 degrees Celsius on Friday, mainly in western Japan. They will stay above 25 degrees overnight.

The mercury will top 35 degrees again on Saturday, mainly in western and eastern Japan, with 34 degrees forecast in Tokyo.

Officials have issued alerts against heatstroke for parts of south, central and eastern Japan.

They are urging people to keep water at their bedsides overnight to stay hydrated, and use air conditioners to avoid heatstroke.