Seasonal rain front bringing downpours to Kyushu region

NHK -- Jun 21

Japanese weather officials say the seasonal rain front has brought downpours, especially to the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan.

The Meteorological Agency says that developed rain clouds covered Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Saga prefectures in the Kyushu region on Tuesday morning.

As of 5 a.m., hourly rainfall of 38.5 millimeters was reported in the town of Nakatane on Tanegashima Island.

Officials say there may have been as much as 70 millimeters of rain around Nagasaki City during the one hour through 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

They have issued a landslide alert for some areas in the prefectures of Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Saga.

The officials forecast that northern and southern parts of Kyushu will likely have an hourly rainfall of more than 50 millimeters with thunder through Tuesday night.

In the 24-hour period through Wednesday morning, 180 millimeters of rain are expected in northern Kyushu and 150 millimeters in southern Kyushu.

The meteorological agency is warning of possible landslides, flooding of low-lying areas, swollen rivers, thunder and gusts.

Jun 21 (ANNnewsCH) - JR九州によりますと、九州新幹線は大雨の影響で、21日午前8時現在、博多から鹿児島中央駅間で、運休や遅れが出ています。  ...continue reading