Record-breaking rain triggers landslide alerts on Japan’s Yakushima Island
Japan's weather agency on Saturday continued to urge maximum vigilance for landslides caused by heavy rain on Yakushima Island in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima, after temporarily issuing its highest emergency warning, Kyodo reports.
The Japan Meteorological Agency lowered the landslide warning to Level 4 from the highest Level 5 before noon. At Level 4, people are still urged to evacuate from affected areas.
In Yakushima's Onoaida, 490.5 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours, a record for the area. Yakushima Island is a tourist spot known for its nature, including ancient cedar trees.
"The rain was so heavy that it was impossible to drive," Yakushima town official Takeshi Terada said.
About 20 households in the town were affected by a temporary power outage early Saturday, according to Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Co. but police and the fire department had received no reports of major damage.
Japan has seen heavy rain in various parts of the archipelago in recent weeks. Saturday's emergency landslide warning followed one for some municipalities in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, in August, when heavy rain resulted in flooding that left 13 people dead.
Due to Typhoon Krovanh and a weather front, low-lying areas in western Japan may see flooding, while rivers may swell or overflow.
Up to 200 millimeters of rain was forecast for southern Kyushu, including Kagoshima, in the 24 hours through 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the weather agency.
Earlier, it was reported that heavy rain had started to trigger flooding and landslides in central regions of Japan in late August.