Extremely heavy rains hit Kyushu, JMA issues year’s first Level 5 torrential rain alert, Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued its highest level rain alert for parts of Kyushu, southwestern Japan on Saturday, July 10, 2021, leading local authorities to instruct hundreds of thousands to take immediate safety measures. Reports of river flooding and landslides are coming in. There are no reports of injuries or casualties at the time of press.

According to the NHK, more than 90 000 households in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto prefectures received evacuation orders and 236 000 people got the highest (level five), 'beyond evacuation' warning.

Local officials instructed those who find it difficult to take shelter safely to move to places such as rooftops and to stay away from rivers and hills.

Residents need to be highly cautious toward mudslides and river overflows in Kagoshima in particular, JMA said.

According to The Mainichi, this is the first time JMA has issued a Level 5 torrential rain alert (on a scale of 1 to 5) this year. The alert was lowered to a warning, Level 3, in the afternoon.

In just 12 hours on July 10, Kagoshima prefecture recorded around 330 mm (13 inches) of rain. Its average July rainfall is 318.9 mm (12.56 inches).

A JMA weather station in Satsuma, Kagoshima, recorded 96.5 mm (3.79 inches) of rain per hour, setting a new hourly rainfall record for the town. 

Ebino in Miyazaki Prefecture recorded 83.5 mm (3.28 inches) per hour.

Featured image: World Is Dangerous