Japanese TV companies and RIA Novosti, the Russian new agency, are reporting that 87,000 people (37,666 households) in the Kumamoto prefecture of Japan have evacuated their homes because of the risk of flooding.
Japan is experiencing a wave of severe weather brought by Typhoon Neoguri, which is forecast to strike Japan at about 09:00 GMT on 9 July.
Some reports claim that as much as 250 mm of rain fell in parts of the prefectures of Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Nagasaki, yesterday, 6 July 2014. In just a 1 hour period earlier today, 70 mm of rain fell in the region.
According to WMO figures, in a 24 hour period from 6 to 7 July, Fukuoka city saw 126 mm rain. Nagasaki city saw 86 mm of rain fall in the same period.
The heavy rain, along with the threat of landslides and severe flooding, have prompted authorities to evacuate several areas including the entire population of the city of Amakusa and surrounding areas of the island.
Further heavy rainfall has been forecast, with predictions as high as 120 mm to 180 mm over the next 24 hours.
As the typhoon approaches, communities across the south western parts of Japan, but especially in the Amami and Okinawa archipelagos, are preparing for storm surges that could hit late on 9 July 2014 and could be as high as 2.5 metres.
Amakusa – Hondo Kamegawa water levels are rising. Lakeside Park submerged
本渡亀川ダムの水位も上昇…湖畔の公園水没 pic.twitter.com/g3TtJ6CfJM
— 天草どっとこむ (@amakusa_com) July 7, 2014
