Tokyo, August 28: More than 670,000 people were notified to immediately evacuate from parts of Japan and seek safety as one of the strongest torrential rains hit the southwestern region of the nation, causing landslides and floods warnings, the local media reported on Wednesday.
Around a million more individuals were advised to seek safety leaving their homes after the nation’s weather organization raised the highest-level alert for parts of northern Kyushu.
The emergency warning is issued “if there is a significant likelihood of catastrophes”, according to CNA news.
The Japanese government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said, “There are many reports of damage in different areas due to flooding of rivers, landslides, and submerged houses, and there is a possibility of serious damage occurring in the coming hours.”
The disaster and fire management agency also said it had already received several reports of flooded residential buildings in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency’s spokesperson told reporters, “We are seeing unprecedented levels of heavy rains in cities where we issued special warnings.”
“It is a situation where you should do your best to protect your lives,” weather agency official Yasushi Kajiwara said. He urged people living in under-evacuation regions to act quickly.
The heavy rains have resulted in the closure of train and some road services in Saga, Fukuoka and Nagasaki.