Is There a Heavy Rain Emergency Warning for South-western Japan?

Tokyo, Aug 8 (NationPress) - Japan's meteorological agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning early Friday for Kirishima, located in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. Authorities are urging the highest level of caution due to risks of landslides and flooding in low-lying areas and the potential for rivers to overflow.

This warning, the first of its kind this year, follows unprecedented rainfall recorded in Kirishima, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

One area in Kirishima saw an astonishing 107.5 mm of rain within just one hour leading up to 3 a.m. local time on Friday, marking the heaviest rainfall ever documented there. Over a span of 12 hours, the total rainfall surpassed 480 mm, which is approximately 1.8 times higher than the typical average for August.

The JMA anticipates that torrential rain will persist in the Kyushu region, including Kagoshima, extending through Sunday.

Forecasts indicate that southern Kyushu could receive up to 200 mm of rain in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning, while northern Kyushu may experience around 120 mm.

Weather officials have cautioned citizens to remain vigilant as hazardous conditions may already be present in areas affected, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Previously, heavy rains have been battering Japan’s Hokuriku region along the Sea of Japan coast, leading the JMA to issue warnings regarding possible landslides, flooding in low-lying regions, and rising river levels, especially in locales still recovering from a strong earthquake earlier this year, according to local media.

Bullet train operations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line experienced suspensions for over five hours between Nagano and Kanazawa stations, confirmed by West Japan Railway Co. (JR West), due to intense rainfall that began impacting parts of Ishikawa Prefecture on August 6.

The agency attributes the turmoil in weather patterns to a low-pressure system moving northeast over the Sea of Japan. This weather front is predicted to migrate southward by Friday and linger over areas from eastern to western Japan.

The JMA has cautioned that some regions may face additional heavy rainfall and thunderstorms as warm, moist air continues to flow toward the low-pressure system. Unstable weather conditions are expected to persist across a broad area from northern to western Japan.

Authorities are advising residents to stay alert for evacuation orders and to take precautions against possible landslides, flash floods, and disruptions to infrastructure in the days ahead.