5 days ago
Downpours hitting southwestern Japan, landslide alerts issued
The seasonal rain front and developed rainclouds brought intermittent downpours to southwestern Japan on Tuesday morning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says warm humid air was flowing toward the front stretching from northern Kyushu to near the Shikoku region, creating unstable atmospheric conditions in western and eastern Japan.
In the hour until 11 a.m., heavy rainfall of 38 millimeters was logged in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and 34 millimeters was recorded in Kusu Town, Oita Prefecture.
Weather officials say previous precipitation has considerably increased the risk of landslides in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures and have issued alerts in some areas.
The front is expected to stay near the Kyushu region until Wednesday. A band of heavy rain clouds bringing extremely heavy precipitation could form by late Tuesday afternoon, especially in Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita and Kumamoto prefectures.
Downpours with lightning could hit localized areas outside Kyushu in western and eastern Japan.
The maximum rainfall forecast in the 24 hours until Wednesday morning is for 180 millimeters in northern Kyushu, 150 millimeters in Kinki and 120 millimeters in southern Kyushu and the Chugoku region.
The agency is advising people in northern Kyushu to be careful of landslides and flooding in low-lying areas and rivers.
Meanwhile, the seasonal rain front and humid air has also brought precipitation to the Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions.
The agency announced on Tuesday that the rainy season appears to have arrived in these regions, as rainy and cloudy conditions are expected to continue over the next seven days.
The rainy season has arrived in the Kanto-Koshin region three days later than a normal year, but 11 days earlier than last year. In the Hokuriku region, it is one day earlier than usual and 12 days earlier than 2024.
