Japanese weather officials have lifted the Level 4 Urgent Warnings for heavy rain and flooding that were issued in some parts of Tokyo and nearby areas due to downpours on Saturday.
However, atmospheric conditions are expected to remain unstable through Sunday dawn. Authorities are urging people to stay vigilant against flooding in low-lying areas, as well as overflowing rivers.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says rainclouds rapidly developed over southern parts of the Kanto region as atmospheric conditions significantly destabilized due to a weather front and humid air.
The rainfall for the one-hour period through 5 p.m. on Saturday is believed to have reached more than 120 millimeters in and near Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward, and about 100 millimeters in and around the capital’s Kita Ward and Toda City in Saitama Prefecture.
Total precipitation for the one-hour period through 5:20 p.m. is believed to have risen to roughly 100 millimeters in and near Tokyo’s Toshima Ward.
Authorities repeatedly issued bulletins on significant short-term rainfall.
They also announced a Level 4 Urgent Warning for heavy rain in some of Tokyo’s 23 wards and Saitama’s Wako City, as well as Kawasaki City and parts of Yokohama City, both in Kanagawa Prefecture.
A Level 4 Urgent Warning for flooding was issued for the Zenpukujigawa River and the Kandagawa River, which both run through Tokyo.
These are the second highest levels of alert on the agency’s scale of one to five.
All the urgent warnings were later removed.