Torrential rain has been pounding parts of central Japan, leading to flooding in some areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a Level 5 Emergency Warning for flooding of the Shonai River, which runs through Gifu and Aichi prefectures. It’s the highest level alert on the agency’s scale of one to five for flooding.
Japan Meteorological Agency official Hosomi Takuya said: “We are seeing the kind of rainfall people have never experienced before. It is highly likely that disasters of some kind have already occurred in the mudslide warning zone and other areas.”
The agency is calling on people to take precautions for their safety. These include moving to higher floors of buildings if it is too dangerous to go to an evacuation center.
Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture recorded 104.5 millimeters of torrential rain in the one-hour period ending at around 4:50 p.m. According to the agency, this is the highest hourly rainfall ever recorded in the city since record keeping began.
Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture recorded 93 millimeters of rain in the one-hour period ending at 4:40 p.m.
Weather officials say torrential rain could continue in many parts of the country over the next few days. They are urging people to remain on high alert for landslides, overflowing rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.