Tokyo, Rajab 22, 1436, May 11, 2015, SPA -- A powerful typhoon was heading for southern Japanese islands on Monday, as weather authorities predicted heavy rains, strong winds and high waves in the region, dpa reported. Typhoon Noul is expected to approach Ishigaki and Miyako islands later in the day, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The sixth typhoon of the season, travelling north at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour, had maximum sustained winds of 180 kph and gusts of 252 kph, the agency said. "The very strong typhoon is approaching the Okinawa region with powerful force," an official from the agency's Okinawa bureau told local media late Sunday, referring to the southern Japanese prefecture. The storm hit the north-eastern Philippines Sunday, prompting 2,500 people to evacuate coastal areas for higher ground. --SPA 10:20 LOCAL TIME 07:20 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w