As Japan recovers from typhoon Phanfone, in comes super typhoon Vongfong - the most intense storm on earth this year.
Vongfong brought flooding, rain and damaging winds to the northern Mariana Islands in the north-western Pacific Ocean on Sunday.
It has rapidly gained strength since then and became a super typhoon on Tuesday with winds of 250km/h.
Over the next 24 to 48 hours, Vongfong is forecast to make a sharp turn north toward Japan.
Forecasts suggest the typhoon could become the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane with winds of more than 260km/h.
This enhanced animated image shows Vongfong tracking across the Pacific Ocean.
Models suggest it could rival the intensity of 2013's deadly typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6000 people, over the next 24 hours, the Washington Post's weather blog reported.
Vongfong is now the sixth super typhoon of 2014, with wind speeds above 240km/h.
But it was not expected to make landfall while at this intensity.
By Saturday morning, the typhoon is forecast to weaken to the equivalent of a category 3, and then a category 2 with wind speeds of 170km/h, as it approaches the southern islands of the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan.
Modelling suggests it will then continue to turn north-east and potentially make landfall in the southern Japan mainland, bringing torrential rain.
The death toll from Phanfone has risen to six in Japan, while five people, including two US servicemen, remain missing.
The typhoon caused about 600 flights to be cancelled and more than 100 bullet train services to be suspended in Japan on Monday.
About 62 people have been injured across Japan in storm-related accidents.
Fairfax Media
