Weather Officials Urge Caution After Heavy Rains Hit Parts Of Saitama
Weather officials are calling for continued caution after torrential rains triggered landslides and flooding in some parts of Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
Japan's Meteorological Agency says some areas in the prefecture had around 100 millimeters of rain per hour on Tuesday night. It issued information on record hourly rainfall within the prefecture nine times.
In Hatoyama Town, a record 360 millimeters of rain fell in total in the six hours up to 10:30 p.m. That's more than double the average rainfall for the entire month of July.
The rains have loosened the ground in some areas of the prefecture.
Atmospheric conditions are expected to become unstable again through Wednesday night in the Kanto-koshin region, which includes Saitama.
Weather officials warn of possible localized downpours of more than 30 millimeters per hour.
They are calling on people to remain on the alert for landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas, as well as lightning strikes and gusty winds.