The recent spell of heavy rain in Japan has caused damage to more than 12,000 homes in the southwestern region of Kyushu and elsewhere.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says a total of 12,610 houses in 19 prefectures had sustained damage, as of 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Heavy rain continues to pound parts of Kyushu in Japan's southwest and elsewhere, prompting landslide warnings for Kumamoto, Saga, Oita, Miyazaki, Tokushima, Gifu and Akita prefectures. Weather officials are also urging people to be prepared for flooding.

The Meteorological Agency says a slow-moving front over Japan has combined with a low pressure system to create unstable atmospheric conditions over much of the country.

Japan's agricultural ministry has warned of devastating damage to the farming, forestry and fisheries industries due to ongoing torrential downpours.

The ministry says as of 11 p.m. on Friday, damage has been confirmed in 30 prefectures. They include Kumamoto and Kagoshima in the southwestern Kyushu region, which has been hit particularly hard by the extreme weather.

Localized downpours are forecast for western and eastern Japan through early Saturday. The southwestern region of Kyushu has had about half its average annual rainfall in just a week. People in affected areas are being advised to evacuate early as the situation could worsen quickly.

The Meteorological Agency says a rain front extending over the Sea of Japan and a low pressure system are destabilizing atmospheric conditions from western Japan to the Tohoku region in northern Japan. Rain clouds are developing over Kyushu and its neighboring region of Shikoku.

Officials in the city of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, say they are unable to contact 40 people. Family and friends haven't been able to reach them. Torrential downpours have caused widespread flooding and landslides in various parts of the country. More than 60 people are dead and 16 officially missing.

The southwestern island of Kyushu has borne the brunt of the damage.

Japanese weather officials are warning of a wet and potentially dangerous weekend ahead for many parts of the country. Torrential downpours have caused widespread flooding and landslides. More than 60 people are dead, and over a dozen are missing.

The southwestern island of Kyushu has borne the brunt of the damage.

Japan is bracing for more torrential downpours through Friday as a lingering seasonal rain front threatens the western and eastern parts of the country. The rain has already left flooding and landslides along Japan's archipelago in its wake. Sixty-two people are confirmed dead, one person has no-vital signs, and 17 others are still missing.

In Kyoto Prefecture, a powerful mudslide swept away three cars near an interchange of an expressway. Officials say two male drivers had slight injuries.

The recent torrential rain in Japan has damaged more than 4,700 homes in 22 prefectures, mainly in the Kyushu region.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 4,711 houses had sustained damage from the downpours as of 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Heavy rain pounding the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan has already caused mudslides and flooding, with deadly results.

Officials say 41 people have been confirmed dead in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning for Nagasaki, Saga and Fukuoka prefectures in Kyushu. The warning is the highest level on the agency's scale.

Japanese financial institutions are offering support for victims of the heavy rains that have battered southwestern and central Japan. Four major banks say they will lend money at reduced interest rates to people who need their homes rebuilt or renovated.

The banks are Sumitomo Mitsui, Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho, and Resona.

Authorities in the southwestern Japanese region of Kyushu, which has had record rainfall, are offering multilingual consultation services for foreigners visiting or living in Japan.

In Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka Multilingual Assistance and Information Center is offering telephone consultations in 18 languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Malay, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Myanmar, Khmer, and Mongolian.

A seasonal rain front is hovering over Japan, bringing torrential rain to many parts of the country. Weather officials are warning of flooding and landslides in central and western Japan.

Heavy rain pounded the northern Kyushu region early Wednesday morning.

A seasonal rain front is hovering over Japan, bringing torrential rain to many parts of the country. Weather officials are warning of flooding and landslides in central and western Japan.

Heavy rain pounded the northern Kyushu region early Wednesday morning.