Recently, due to the influx of warm moist air, many areas across Kyushu, Japan, have been experiencing persistent heavy rainfall, with some regions in Kumamoto Prefecture recording unprecedented amounts of rain.
Because of continued heavy rain, Shinkansen trains between Hiroshima Station and Hakata Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen line have been temporarily suspended since Sunday. The Meteorological Agency estimates that by Tuesday, widespread areas from northern to western Japan may experience heavy rains at alert levels.
Record-Breaking Rainfall in Kumamoto
The Meteorological Agency reported that, in the 24-hour period between last Saturday and Sunday, the maximum amount of rainfall in Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture reached 414.5 mm, and in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, it reached 366.5 mm. In Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture, the 12-hour rainfall as of Monday morning was 404 mm, and Kumamoto Airport recorded 328.5 mm, both setting the highest records since statistics began.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue in the Kyushu region on Monday, with Kumamoto Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture, Oita Prefecture, and Miyazaki Prefecture expected to be covered by a line-shaped rain band, which sharply increases the risk of disasters. Authorities are urging residents in mountainous areas to watch out for landslides, and people in low-lying regions to beware of flooding and river breaches.
Long Queues at JR Hakata Station
Starting from 4:00 p.m. Sunday, Sanyo Shinkansen trains between Hiroshima Station and Hakata Station have been temporarily suspended. As this coincides with Japan’s Obon holiday period, many returning residents and travelers formed long queues at JR Hakata Station in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, with their journeys disrupted.
Additionally, around 3 a.m. on the 11th, a house in the Toyomi area of Misato Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, was buried by a landslide. Reportedly, a brother and sister lived in the house; the female managed to escape, but the male was trapped and unable to move. He was finally rescued after 11:30 a.m., conscious, but the extent of his injuries was unknown.
According to police, on the afternoon of the 10th in Azemachi, Fukutsu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, a report was received of a man and a woman, both in their 60s, being swept away by the flooded Saigo River. Firefighters continued the search in the area on the 11th. In Kosa Town, a car carrying a family of four was buried by a landslide while fleeing; the mother and two children were rescued, but the father is missing.