Weather officials say atmospheric conditions are extremely unstable in the Tokai region and other areas. They also report that heavy rain is falling in central Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture.
The Meteorological Agency says warm moist air circling the edge of a high pressure system in the Pacific is flowing into the skies over Japan. It notes that this is triggering extremely unstable conditions.
Ninety-two millimeters were recorded in the Shimizu District, which is located in Shizuoka City.
The district saw 317 millimeters of rain in the 24 hours up to 5 a.m. That exceeds by far the amount of rain that the district receives on average during the entire month of August. It is also the highest figure that has ever been registered during the month of August, since the agency began keeping such records.
Landslide alerts have been issued for some parts of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Weather forecasters say atmospheric conditions in the Tokai region are likely to remain unstable through Saturday.
They are also forecasting that extremely heavy localized rains will be seen in northern Japan, as a low-pressure system accompanying a front is likely to pass over the region.
Rainfall levels in the 24 hours through Saturday morning could reach up to 150 millimeters in the Tokai region, and 120 millimeters in the regions of Hokkaido and Tohoku.
Weather officials are warning that there could be landslides and floods in low-lying areas. They also note that rivers could swell. The officials are urging people to be careful, as lightning strikes, powerful tornado-like wind gusts and hail could occur.
Severe Tropical Storm Shanshan is expected to move north from the southern part of Japan, after it reaches the waters near Tokyo’s remote Ogasawara island chain on Sunday.
The storm may approach areas in eastern and western Japan. Officials are urging people to keep abreast of the latest information.