After quake, typhoon Vonfong to hit Japan

In the latest of the series of natural calamities that hit Japan recently, a monstrous typhoon Vongfong slammed southern Okinawan islands with ferocious winds and driving rain.

The storm last position was stated to be about 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Naha City in Japan's southernmost area of Okinawa, according to the nation's meteorological agency.

Packing gusts of up to 234 kilometres (145 miles) per hour, the typhoon was moving north very slowly, at 10 kilometres (six miles) per hour.

Vongfong is expected to reach near Japan's southern main island of Kyushu by early Monday after brushing off Okinawa, said media reports.

It may then slam into the archipelago, the meteorological agency said.

The typhoon came just a week after another strong tropical storm whipped through the country, leaving 11 people dead or missing in the nation prone to natural disasters.

Two weeks ago, a volcano in Mount Ontake in the central part of the archipelago erupted without warning, killing at least 55 hikers.

In late August a downpour in western Japan's Hiroshima triggered massive landslides and killed more than 70 people.

Earlier on Saturday, a moderate earthquake shook northern Japan.

The quake measuring 6.2 on Richter scale struck off the east coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, reports said on Saturday.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre of the tremor was placed 110 miles northeast of Hachinohe.