Rain pounds Northeastern Japan
Tokyo, The Gulf Observer: Heavy rain pounded Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan on Saturday, with some residents urged to immediately get to safety after a river in the prefectural capital Akita broke its banks, local authorities said.
Two people were taken to hospital after a landslide hit a house in the city, rescue workers said.
Bullet train services were suspended between Morioka and Akita stations, the operator of the Akita Shinkansen line said.
The Taihei River overflowed, with the most severe evacuation alert issued for residents in the city and nearby Gojome, authorities said.
Evacuation orders were issued in more than 10 municipalities in Akita Prefecture, with the weather agency calling for vigilance against landslides and overflowing rivers.
Affected by an active seasonal rain front, Happo and Oga, both in the Prefecture, observed record rainfall of 196 millimeters and 167 mm, respectively, in the 12 hours through 10:40 a.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The figure in Happo was higher than the town’s normal monthly rainfall for July.
The rain front is expected to linger in the Tohoku region in the northeast through Sunday, the agency said, forecasting up to 200 mm of rainfall in the region in the 24 hours through 6 a.m. Sunday.
