Japan Expands Heavy Rain Emergency Warning in Kumamoto Prefecture

On Monday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency extended its emergency warning concerning heavy rainfall to additional regions within Kumamoto Prefecture, located in southwestern Japan. This warning was triggered by intense rain affecting the northern area of the Kyushu region, prompting urgent safety advisories for residents.

for the cities of Yatsushiro and Uki, as well as the town of Hikawa at 5:25 a.m.; the city of Kamiamakusa at 8:10 a.m.; and the city of Amakusa at 9:15 a.m. Previously, the cities of Tamana and the town of Nagasu had received similar warnings just after midnight. Officials in these municipalities, along with the towns of Misato and Gyokuto, conveyed the need for immediate safety actions, which align with the highest level on the disaster alert system.

Shuichi Tachihara, the director of the agency’s Forecast Division, emphasized the seriousness of the situation during a press briefing, stating that it is quite possible that a disaster has already taken place. In one incident in the town of Kosa, emergency responders rescued three individuals, including two children, from a vehicle that had been caught in a landslide, while search efforts for a missing man in his 50s are ongoing.

Large-scale rain clouds, known as linear precipitation zones, intermittently developed over Kumamoto and nearby Nagasaki Prefecture. JR Kyushu reported that the heavy rainfall led to a complete suspension of operations on the high-speed train line, the Kyushu Shinkansen. Record-breaking rainfall amounts were recorded in various places, with Tamana experiencing 404.5 millimeters and the Kumamoto town of Yamato receiving 386.5 millimeters over the 12-hour period until 9 a.m., highlighting the severity of the weather conditions.