Rain in southwest Japan forces the evacuation of residents and suspension of trains – Observer

Japanese authorities recommended this Sunday to more than 370,000 residents in southwest Japan to leave their homes due to torrential rain.

The rain front that has been affecting the southern half of the Japanese archipelago has caused particularly significant damage in Shimane prefecture, where 20 river overflows and 15 landslide incidents have been recorded.

Local authorities asked more than 370,000 people from two parts of the province to leave their homes and go to reception centres, in addition to recommending the suspension of regional and high-speed trains.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), more than 100 millimeters of precipitation were recorded in the region in the space of six hours.

Police and rescue services are looking for possible passengers in a vehicle that was swept away by a river, local media reported.

Weather conditions also disrupted high-speed trains between Hiroshima and Hakata stations in the southwest of the country, according to the operator.

The JMA warned of the risk of continuous flooding, landslides and other incidents related to the torrential rains forecast for all of Sunday in the west, southwest and center of the country.