Heavy rain is expected to again hit the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan through around Tuesday.
The Meteorological Agency says the prefectures of Yamagata and Akita in Tohoku were hit by record rain in the past few days as a seasonal rain front became active.
The downpours have caused the Mogami River and other rivers to overflow, submerging some areas and triggering landslides. River levels remain high in Yamagata Prefecture. The ground has loosened, mainly in northern parts of Tohoku.
Rainfall had eased for a while. But the rain front stretched again over Tohoku on Saturday morning and rain clouds are developing in some parts of Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures.
Weather officials say localized torrential rain with lightning will likely hit Tohoku through late Saturday night. Intermittent downpours are possible mainly in areas along the Sea of Japan coast through around Tuesday.
In the 24 hours through Sunday noon, up to 180 millimeters of rain is expected in Sea of Japan coast areas of Tohoku and 120 millimeters in areas on the Pacific side of the region.
In the 24-hour period through Monday noon, up to 200 millimeters of rain is forecast for the Sea of Japan side and 120 millimeters on the Pacific side.
Weather officials say that even a small amount of rain could heighten disaster risks in Tohoku. They are warning against overflowing rivers, flooding and landslides.
The officials say that other prefectures, such as Niigata and Hokkaido, may have heavy rain depending on the flow of damp air.
People are advised to stay updated on the latest weather information.