Deadly Rain Threat Grips Southwestern Japan

(MENAFN) Torrential rain hammered southern Kyushu in southwestern Japan on Sunday, dramatically elevating disaster risks across the region, the nation's meteorological authority warned.

Persistent linear rainbands took hold over Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures through late Sunday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported, urging residents to brace for potentially devastating landslides, flooding in low-lying zones, and dangerously swollen or overflowing rivers.

Forecasters projected rainfall accumulations of up to 300mm in Shikoku and 150mm across southern Kyushu and the Amami region within a 24-hour window closing at 6:00 a.m. local time Monday — levels capable of triggering widespread damage.

Atmospheric instability is forecast to persist across much of western Japan, the JMA cautioned, signaling no immediate relief for storm-weary communities.

In a separate but significant development, weather officials announced Sunday that the annual rainy season — known locally as tsuyu — appears to have officially arrived in the Tokai region of central Japan, as well as the broader Kanto-Koshin region, which encompasses the capital, Tokyo. The rainy season in those areas typically runs through mid- to late July.

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