Heavy rain hits southwest Japan, disaster risk rises

TOKYO - Heavy rain hit southern Kyushu in southwestern Japan on Sunday, prompting the weather agency to warn of possible landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and swollen or overflowing rivers.

Linear rainbands -- zones of heavy rain clouds that form in succession over the same area -- had developed in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures through late Sunday morning, sharply increasing the risk of disasters, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.