Just minutes before the second of today's two free practice sessions is due to get underway, and it's still raining, hard.

The air temperature is now 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 19 degrees.

According to the latest forecast, we should expect heavy rain and strong winds tomorrow with the typhoon hitting at 9:00 (local time).

At this stage, no one expects qualifying to happen at all once the typhoon hits land, so there might not be any running at all on Saturday.

Hopefully the typhoon should have blown through by Sunday. However, the grid may have to be decided by a different method, possibly the finishing positions from the last Grand Prix (Michael Schumacher in 12th) although this hasn't been finalised.

It's worth noting that when Typhoon No 21 hit Suzuka last week, it flooded not only the TV compound area to a depth of three feet, but the first and second corners as well.

As the pitlane lights turn green, Robert Doornbos is first out, followed by Mark Webber, Christian Klien, Anthony Davidson, Kimi Raikkonen and Jacques Villeneuve.

Webber goes quickest with a 1:51.719, as Davidson posts 1:51.766 and Klien goes third.

Unlike the first session, when extreme wet tyres were compulsory, drivers are now allowed to make their own decision.

Davidson improves with a 1:50.478, as Doornbos goes second. As Jacques Villeneuve goes fourth (1:52.308), Glock, Trulli and Baumgartner come out.

The rain has stopped, as Davidson improves with a 1:49.598, Villeneuve also improves, the Canadian going third quickest, behind Glock, who has just gone second.

Glock improves once again, indeed the German goes quickest with a 1:49.277.

Jarno Trulli goes eighth (1:54.615), only to be bumped down by former teammate Fernando Alonso, who goes fourth with a 1:49.712.

With fifteen minutes of the session run, Michael Schumacher is on track, the German immediately going quickest - by almost 2s - in the first sector.

The German crosses the line at 1:45.388, that's 3.889s faster than second-placed Glock.

It's Schumacher, Glock, Davidson, Villeneuve, Alonso, Sato and Doornbos.

As Nick Heidfeld goes sixth (1:50.124), David Coulthard goes eighth. Moments later, Heidfeld improves to third, only to be bumped down by DC who posts 1:48.905, to go second. Three German - Schumacher, Heidfeld and Glock - in the top four.

Coulthard improves, but remains 3.3s off Schumacher's pace.

From out of nowhere, Barrichello produces a 1:46.874, to go second, while Raikkonen slots in right behind the Brazilian, having posted a 1:47.019.

Only 17 drivers have posted time, with the WilliamsF1 drivers, Button, Fisichella, Massa, Panis, Wirdheim and Briscoe, yet to make an appearance.

Davidson is quickest through the speedtrap, the Englishman hitting 191.3 mph.

As Ralf Schumacher comes out, it starts to rain again. However, Fisichella has gone second (1:46.102).

It's raining even harder now, consequently Jenson Button can only manage 1:53.482, which puts him twentieth.

Massa comes out - in the car which he damaged in the first session - and promptly goes off. He is able to continue, however, moments later Glock goes off at the same corner, then Baumgartner. The Hungarian is stuck in the gravel, his session over.

With twenty-five minutes remaining, there is nobody on track, other than the hapless Minardi driver.

The clock continues ticking, the rain continues falling. With fifteen minutes remaining it looks unlikely that we'll see any further action today.

Currently, the order is: Schumacher, Fisichella, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Coulthard, Glock, Heidfeld, Sato, Davidson and Villeneuve. Alonso is eleventh, ahead of, Ralf, Montoya, Trulli, Webber, Doornbos, Klien, Leinders, Bruni, Button and Baumgartner.

Remember, today is merely rain, the really bad weather begins tomorrow!