Torrential rains battering Japan’s southern Kyushu | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Weather authorities are calling on people in the southern part of Kyushu, southwestern Japan, to be on high alert for landslides and flooding, as torrential rains are pounding the region.

The Meteorological Agency says warm moist air is moving toward a seasonal rain front stretching near Kyushu, making atmospheric conditions extremely unstable.

Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, the town of Minamiosumi had 30 millimeters of rain.

The continued rainfall has considerably heightened the risk of landslides in Kagoshima Prefecture. Local officials also said the risk of flooding is extremely high in the Manose and Kaseda rivers in the prefecture.

A low-pressure system in the East China Sea is expected to move eastward along the rain front and pass through Kyushu on Friday morning.

The region can expect localized downpours of more than 50 millimeters per hour, accompanied by thunder.

Weather officials say bands of rain clouds may bring extremely heavy rainfall to the prefectures of Miyazaki and Kagoshima, excluding the Amami region. Such rain clouds could significantly raise the risk of disasters.

In the 24-hour period through Friday evening, up to 250 millimeters of rain are forecast for southern Kyushu and 200 millimeters for northern Kyushu.

Agency officials are also calling on people to be vigilant against flooding in low-lying areas, lightning strikes, and gusts including tornadoes.