The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain emergency warning for Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures, urging residents in those areas to take the best course of action to ensure their safety.
The warning, issued at 4:50 a.m. on Saturday, is a Level 5, the highest alert level, indicating a disaster could have already occurred.
Due to the seasonal rain front, thunderstorms with extremely heavy rainfall are expected to occur in western Japan on Saturday evening, and are forecast to hit eastern Japan early Sunday morning. The agency urges strong caution against landslides, flooding of low-lying areas and the flooding of rivers.
A wide area is expected to receive heavy rains, with the Tokai region rainfall receiving an estimated 250 millimeters, 180 millimeters in the Kanto-Koshin, northern Kyushu and southern Kyushu regions, 150 millimeters in the Kinki region and 120 millimeters in the Shikoku region within the 24 hour period through 6 a.m. Sunday.
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