Heavy rain lashes Fukushima, Niigata, hail seen in Tokyo

Heavy rain lashed northeastern Japan's Fukushima and Niigata prefectures on Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders in affected areas amid fears of river flooding, while part of Tokyo observed hail in the afternoon, disrupting traffic.Strong hail smashed sections of the platform's roof at JR Komagome Station on the Yamanote loop line in the capital, but no one was hurt, East Japan Railway Co. said.Near JR Ikebukuro Station, hail covered the ground, the train operator said, adding temporary traffic disruption affected some 17,000 people.The town of Tadami in western Fukushima ordered over 4,300…READ FULL ARTICLE