Massive rainfall hits Japan, prompting severe flood warnings

Heavy torrential downpours have lashed southwestern Japan, prompting meteorological authorities to issue urgent warnings for potential landslides, low-lying floods, and overflowing rivers.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that dense bands of heavy rain clouds formed over the Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, sharply escalating the immediate risk of localized disasters. Forecasters have warned that atmospheric conditions will remain highly unstable across western Japan. The island of Shikoku, one of the nation's four main landmasses, is bracing for severe rainfall intense enough to trigger official emergency warnings, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The extreme weather is being driven by an active weather front stretching from the Chinese mainland through the southwestern Nansei Islands. A low-pressure system situated over the East China Sea is currently tracking east-northeast along this front, dumping massive amounts of water over the region.

Meteorologists project that by early Monday, localized accumulation totals for the 24-hour period could reach up to 11 inches (300 millimeters) in Shikoku, and up to 6 inches (150 mm) in southern Kyushu and the Amami region. Residents in high-risk areas are being urged to monitor local advisories closely and prepare for potential evacuations.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada