Typhoon Dolphin is heading towards the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan. From Thursday onwards, Okinawa and the Amami Islands in particular are at risk of wind gusts exceeding 125 miles per hour, torrential rain and waves several metres high.

Further north, in the region affected by last week’s earthquake, heavy rain and storms are also expected.

In the area around Kumamoto, even small amounts of rain could trigger landslides with soil severely loosened by the earthquake.

Typhoon Dolphin has intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 super typhoon in the space of just two days. This rapid intensification was facilitated by very warm sea water and low wind shear.

Although the cyclone has now weakened slightly, it remains very dangerous.