TOKYO - Heavy rain hit northern Kyushu on Thursday as a seasonal rain front and low-pressure system affected Japan's southwestern main island, with so-called rainbands forming across five of its prefectures -- Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Oita.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of landslides, flooding and rising rivers as unstable atmospheric conditions spread across western and eastern Japan.
In Saikai, Nagasaki Prefecture, more than 80 millimeters of rain fell in a single hour before dawn.
The heavy rain triggered landslides at multiple locations in Hita, Oita Prefecture, while the Chikugo River in Kumamoto Prefecture overflowed.
Extremely heavy rain of more than 60 mm per hour also fell in parts of Kumamoto and Saga prefectures. In Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, over 200 mm of rain fell in the 24-hour period through 2 a.m. Thursday.
Pockets of heavy rain and thunderstorms have appeared mostly in western Japan as a warm, damp air mass flowed into low-pressure systems and a seasonal rain front stalled over the country, according to the agency.
The low-pressure systems are expected to move eastward over eastern Japan through Friday, while the rain front gradually moves southward.
Atmospheric conditions remain unstable over Kagoshima Prefecture, where thunderstorms and strong wind gusts are possible through Friday evening.
The agency has also urged continued caution in northern Kyushu, where saturated ground and swollen rivers remain a concern following the prolonged rainfall.
