Typhoon Dolphin batters southwestern Japan, forcing evacuations as it heads toward Shanghai

Typhoon Dolphin swept toward southwestern Japan on Friday, forcing the closure of major airports in Okinawa and triggering evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of residents.

The storm, the 13th named typhoon of the season, moved westward Friday morning, bringing Okinawa's main island and the Amami island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture under its direct influence, according to the Mainichi Shimbun and the Associated Press.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, Dolphin was moving west at 25 kilometers per hour, located about 30 kilometers southeast of Okinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. Maximum sustained winds near the center reached 40 meters per second, with gusts of up to 55 meters per second.

The typhoon is expected to maintain its intensity throughout the day. Okinawa's main island could remain under strong wind conditions through late Saturday, with forecasters warning that gusts could be strong enough to damage some housing.

Strong winds are also forecast for the Miyako Island area beginning early Saturday morning. Japan's Meteorological Agency projected up to 200 millimeters of rain on Okinawa's main island and 120 millimeters on the Miyako Island area in the 24 hours through 6 a.m. Saturday.

Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures issued evacuation orders covering about 258,000 residents, while Toyota halted operations at nine factories across Japan. Okinawa Prefecture said 240 people had moved to local shelters as of noon Friday.

Three men in their 70s sustained minor injuries in Okinawa Prefecture. Two were swept off their feet by strong winds, while the third fell from a chair while preparing for the storm.

Air travel was also severely disrupted. Naha Airport in Okinawa, along with Miyako and Ishigaki airports, shut down entirely for the day, resulting in the cancellation of 417 flights. An additional 274 flights are scheduled to be canceled on Saturday and Sunday.

After passing through Okinawa, Dolphin is expected to turn west-northwest and enter the East China Sea, reaching a point about 530 kilometers southeast of Shanghai, China, on Aug. 10.