·

Extremely heavy rain hits Yakushima Island, Japan – 420 mm (16.5 inches) in 12 hours

extremely-heavy-rain-hits-yakushima-island-japan-420-mm-16-5-inches-in-12-hours

​A warm and humid air current blowing from the east brought extremely heavy rain to Japan's southern Yakushima Island on Saturday, May 18, 2019. More than 12 000 residents were asked to evacuate immediately.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), rainfall in Yakushima reached 50 mm (1.9 inches) per hour. Some areas recorded more than 420 mm (16.5 inches) in 12 hours to 11:00 UTC.

In the southern part of the town, radar analysis of late afternoon showers recorded 120 mm (4.7 inches) per hour.

According to the NHK, around 12 400 people were asked to evacuate their homes in all parts of Yakushima Town in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Heavy rain caused floods and landslides, stranding 314 people on Mt. Miyanoura – a world natural heritage site. They were forced to spend the night in the vehicles and a mountain cabin. Rescuers reached them on Sunday.

The meteorological agency said that heavy rains felt at a level only seen once time every 50 years. The agency also issued a warning alert against landslides and warned more heavy rain is expected through Tuesday, May 21. Up to 50 mm (1.9 inches) of rain per hour in some areas of western and eastern Japan and up to 200 mm (7.8 inches) in 24 hours in Kinki and Shikoku, western Japan.

YouTube video

This event seems pretty similar to Yonaguni, Okinawa extremely heavy rainfall event of May 13, 2019, when 367 mm (14.4 inches) of rain fell in just 6 hours. 276.5 mm (10.88 inches) fell on Yonaguni in a three-hour period from 06:10 JST – the heaviest since detailed records began in 2003.

Featured image credit: ANN

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *