Torrential rain has caused the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture, northeastern Japan, to overflow its banks in four different locations.
The Meteorological Agency says unstable atmospheric conditions brought record-level rainfall to parts of the prefecture on Tuesday.
The overspills were observed in three areas in Oishida Town and one area in Okura Village -- all in the river's midstream -- between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
The agency and the land ministry are calling on residents to exercise maximum caution and check evacuation information from local authorities.
Due to the seasonal rain front hovering over Japan, atmospheric conditions are expected to remain unstable in vast areas of the country on Wednesday.
Relatively strong rain is forecast in the northeastern Tohoku region until later in the day. Thunderstorms are also expected in eastern Japan and in northern Kyushu in the country's southwest toward evening.
