Hajj, the largest mass gathering in the world, will take place from approximately Aug 30 to Sep 4. Expect overcrowding and be alert for security risks. If not participating in Hajj, travelers should consider rescheduling for another time.

A 10-fold increase in flu cases over the same period in recent years is overwhelming public healthcare facilities. Travelers should follow standard precautions.

Typhoon Noru is predicted to pass just north Japan’s northern Ryukyu Islands Aug. 5 before veering northward and making landfall on Japan’s Fukue Island around Aug. 7 then passing between southeast South Korea and Japan’s Kyushu and southwest Honshu islands.