Hundreds of thousands of Japanese people have been urged to seek shelter as weather forecasts predict a 14-meter storm surge, landslides, torrential rains, and massive flooding.

The Japan Meteorological Agency lists a host of inclement weather conditions, which include thunderstorms, heavy rain, flood, gale, and high waves as Typhoon Neoguri sweeps across the ocean to the east of the Okinawan islands and approaches Kyushu, the southernmost part of the main Japanese islands.

In a statement, Jitsuko Hasegawa, a spokeswoman for the agency said that "This is the strongest typhoons we have ever recorded to approach Japan in July."

"September is usually the time of year when we experience such storms and this would be a big typhoon even by standards for that time of year, but this is very unusual in July," Hasegawa added.

Moving at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour, Typhoon Neoguri is generating winds of up to 50 meters per second at its center with gusts up to 70 meters per second.

The agency has issued warnings for strong gusts of wind and high waves throughout the Okinawa archipelago, with storm surges generating massive waves as high as 14 feet.

Typhoon Neoguri is described as the most powerful typhoon to hit the islands in 15 years as locals expect damaging winds to continue ravaging the land throughout the week. The meteorological agency said the typhoon is expected to weaken as it progresses, but it is still expected to bring heavy rainfall to many parts of the Japanese mainland. Weather analysts are predicting that Tokyo will be affected on Friday, when the typhoon may be downgraded to a tropical storm.