Typhoon Kong-rey: Potential threat to life as storm with gusts of up to 175mph moves towards Japan and South Korea

Heavy rain expected to bring flooding and landslides

Japan is still recovering from Typhoon Trami, which brought heavy rains, strong winds and landslides (The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

Japan is facing another dangerous storm as Typhoon Kong-rey tracks through the Pacific Ocean.

The Met Office warned of a potential risk to life as the storm brings maximum sustained winds of 120mph, with gusts of up to 175mph.

Heavy rain is expected to bring flooding and landslides.

Kong-rey is expected to move northwest over the next few days, before reaching Japan’s Ryukyu islands on Thursday, Richard Miles, a spokesman for the Met Office, told The Independent.

“We are anticipating the likely impacts from Kong Rey to be similar to that of similar storms such as Trami, Jongdari and Jebi.

“It could damage infrastructure and bring a risk to life, mainly as a consequence of flooding and landslides.”

Japan is still recovering from Typhoon Trami, which made landfall on Sunday and brought heavy rains, strong winds and landslides.

The typhoon, rated by Tropical Storm Risk as a category 1, the lowest on a five-point scale, killed at least four people people, Channel News Asia reported.

Mr Miles said Typhoon Kong-rey “looks to have reached its maximum intensity at this point”.

Despite earlier predictions suggesting Kong-rey could hit China and Taiwan, Mr Miles said: “The most likely track is similar to Typhoon Prapiroon which hit Japan and South Korea in June and July and that created heavy flooding and mud flows.

“Although the track is likely to be the same, it doesn’t look like the impact will be as great."