"Vongfong", the strongest typhoon of the year to hit Japan

Japan is bracing for the arrival of a powerful typhoon, Vongfong, which officials have said will be the strongest storm to hit Japan this year.

The southern island of Okinawa is likely to bear the brunt of the storm when it makes landfall late Saturday or early Sunday.

Storm tracking website Tropical Storm Risk shows Vongfong losing power as it moves northeast to the rest of Japan.

It follows the path of Phanfone, which killed nine people earlier this week.

An official from Japan's Meteorological Agency told Reuters news agency: "There is no question that (Vongfong) is an extremely large, extremely powerful typhoon."

"It's the strongest storm we've had this year, definitely, although it has lost some strength from its peak."

Vongfong, currently south of Okinawa, is said to be carrying winds up to 259km/h (161mph).

It has picked up strength since it went through several South Pacific islands including Guam.

The Associated Press news agency said it caused little damage on the islands. It had caused brief power outages and there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Earlier this week, parts of Japan were hit by Typhoon Phanfone, though that storm had rapidly lost power by the time it hit Tokyo on Monday.

Japan's Kyodo news agency said nine people are now known to have been killed by Phanfone, including three US military servicemen in Okinawa who were washed out to sea. Their bodies have since been recovered.