TOKYO - Japan's weather agency on Saturday continued to urge maximum vigilance for landslides caused by heavy rain on Yakushima Island in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima, after temporarily issuing its highest emergency warning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency lowered the landslide warning to Level 4 from the highest Level 5 before noon. At Level 4, people are still urged to evacuate from affected areas.
The agency said it was the second landslide special warning issued since a new disaster weather information system was introduced in May, following one issued for torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo in August.
In Yakushima's Onoaida, 490.5 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours, a record for the area. Yakushima Island is a tourist spot known for its nature, including ancient cedar trees.
"The rain was so heavy that it was impossible to drive," Yakushima town official Takeshi Terada said.
About 20 households in the town were affected by a temporary power outage early Saturday, according to Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Co., but police and the fire department had received no reports of major damage.
Japan has seen heavy rain in various parts of the archipelago in recent weeks. Saturday's emergency landslide warning followed one for some municipalities in Chiba Prefecture in August, when heavy rain resulted in flooding that left 13 people dead.
A front is drawing in warm, moist air from around Typhoon Krovanh, which remains near Okinawa, and a tropical depression over waters south of Japan, making atmospheric conditions extremely unstable.
The 24th typhoon of the year and the front are also expected to move northward, potentially bringing warning-level heavy rain mainly to Pacific coastal areas from eastern to western Japan. Northeastern Japan should also remain on alert for heavy rain on Monday.
Up to 200 mm of rain was forecast for the Tokai region in central Japan, 180 mmm for southern Kyushu, including Kagoshima, in the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Sunday, according to the weather agency.
