Tokyo. Hundreds of thousands of people in southwestern Japan were ordered to evacuate and more ​than 500 flights cancelled on Friday as slow-moving ‌Typhoon Dolphin approached the region to bring violent winds, heavy rain and high waves.

The Category 1 typhoon had maximum ​sustained winds of 144 kph (89.5 mph) with ​gusts reaching 198 kph and was nearing a ⁠chain of islands between the Kyushu region and ​Okinawa prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

Authorities issued ​evacuation orders for nearly 260,000 residents in Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, while Toyota suspended work at nine factories on Friday.

Dolphin ​was expected to maintain its strength as it ​approached Okinawa prefecture, raising the risk of winds that could damage ‌or ⁠collapse some structures, authorities warned. A linear rain band — or a narrow band of intense precipitation and thunderstorms — could also develop, possibly triggering flooding, the ​weather agency ​said.

The large storm ⁠was also enveloping much of the southernmost main island of Kyushu with ​strong winds, including Kumamoto prefecture, still reeling ​from ⁠last week's magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

Some 6,700 Kumamoto residents remain in evacuation centres after many houses collapsed. The weather agency ⁠has ​also warned of heatstroke risks ​with temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) in ​some areas.