Typhoon Malakas Strengthens, Forecast to Brush Past Japan Coast

Tropical Storm Malakas has strengthened as it tracks north over the Pacific Ocean on course to brush past the east coast of the main Japanese island of Honshu in two days, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The agency’s forecast shows the typhoon churning toward the islands of Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima before turning north-northeast, indicating it won’t make landfall on Japan’s main islands. The storm is estimated to make its closest approach about 390 kilometers (242 miles) off Hachijojima island, south of Tokyo, at around 9 a.m. on Sept. 25, the agency said on its website.