Torrential Rain Pounds Akita, Northern Japan


Torrential rain pounds Akita, northern Japan

The Meteorological Agency says heavy rain and thunder will likely hit eastern and northeastern Japan through Wednesday morning, especially in the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture.

The officials say warm, damp air has been flowing into a seasonal rain front and a low pressure system stretching from the Sea of Japan to the northeastern Tohoku region.

Torrential rain pounded the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita early Tuesday morning, causing local rivers to overflow.

A radar analysis showed that about 100 millimeters of rain fell in the hour to 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the northern parts of Yurihonjo City in Akita.

More than 160 millimeters of rain fell over a 24-hour period in two cities in Akita. That's more than 80 percent of the average rainfall for the entire month of July.

The risk of landslides has increased in parts of Akita, Iwate, Niigata, Nagano and Nagasaki prefectures due to previous rains.