TOKYO -- The 26th typhoon of this year, Wipha, is approaching Japan and may make landfall Wednesday morning, while gales and heavy rain may arrive Tuesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Wipha, the strongest typhoon to hit eastern Japan around Tokyo in 10 years, was travelling north in the Pacific toward the eastern coast of Japan's main island Honshu at a speed of 25 km per hour.

The JMA has warned of gales, high waves and heavy rainfall from Tuesday to Wednesday in wide areas from western to northern Japan.

It said the typhoon will bring 400 mm of rainfall in 24 hours through noon Wednesday in the Tokai region surrounding Nagoya city and 300 mm in the Kanto-Koshin region as well as 250 mm in Kinki, Tohoku and Hokuriku areas.