Heavy Rain Alert For Much Of Japan
Japan's weather officials are advising people to take precautions against heavy rain through Monday.
The Meteorological Agency says warm, damp air flowing toward a front over the main island of Honshu has made atmospheric conditions unstable over wide areas of western and eastern Japan.
Rain clouds have developed, mainly over the Sanin and Kinki regions. The city of Unnan in Shimane Prefecture recorded precipitation of 38 millimeters between 5 and 6 a.m. Sunday.
A low pressure system along the front is expected to move east over the Sea of Japan.
This could bring extremely heavy rain of 50 millimeters per hour or more, accompanied by lightning, to western Japan through Monday morning and to eastern and northern Japan through dawn on Monday.
In the 24 hours through Monday morning, precipitation of up to 200 millimeters is expected in the Hokuriku region, 150 millimeters in the Tokai and northern Kyushu regions, 120 millimeters in the Tohoku, Chugoku and southern Kyushu regions, and 100 millimeters in the Kinki region.
Weather officials are calling for caution against mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas and swelling of rivers, as well as possible lightning strikes and tornadoes.
