Jul 06 (NHK) - Officials in Japan have issued warnings for floods and mudslides. They're due to torrential downpours brought by a seasonal rain front over much of the country.
The Meteorological Agency says some places received rainfall equivalent to or above the average for all of July.
More than 850 millimeters of rain fell in Umaji Village in the western prefecture of Kochi over the 48 hours to 3 AM on Friday.
And the water in many rivers is above flood warning levels.
An evacuation order was in place for about 164,000 people in the western region of Kansai alone as of 4 AM on Friday. An evacuation advisory was also in effect for another some 860,000 people there.
The Meteorological Agency forecasts more than 50 millimeters of heavy rain per hour with lightning and gusts for eastern and western regions of Japan, as well as Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
Weather officials say there could be a record-high rainfall through Sunday.
The agency is asking people to listen for alerts from local governments and to be ready to move to safe places.
Source: ANNnewsCH
