TOKYO - A strong typhoon in the Pacific Ocean was heading towards Japan on Monday but looked set to narrowly miss landfall, the meteorological agency said.

Typhoon Rammasun, which means "god of thunder" in Thai, was moving northeast with gusts of up to 185 kilometres per hour as of 3:00pm (0600 GMT).

It was on course to come near the Tokyo region on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The storm will most likely stay in the Pacific before falling apart, although a warning was issued for areas near Tokyo, the agency said.

The typhoon comes 10 days after a strong cyclone hit Myanmar, leaving about 62,000 dead or missing, according to the country's official toll. - AFP/ir