6,000 people ordered to evacuate in SW Japan due to torrential rain: NHK

Around 6,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in the city of Kagoshima in Japan's southwest, public broadcaster NHK said here Wednesday.

Pedestrians holding an umbrella struggle against a heavy rain in Miyazaki on July 2, 2019. A warning of sediment disaster due to torrential rain has been issued in southern Kyusyu Area. [Photo: IC]

The evacuation order came as torrential rain continues to pummel southwest Japan, with Kyushu Island, which comprises Kagoshima City, the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit regions.

Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) had previously warned of torrential rain continuing to inundate the Kyushu region, with people in the area already on alert for possible natural disasters triggered by the extremely heavy rainfall.

Prior to Wednesday's evacuation order being issued, people in affected areas were being asked to pay attention to the latest weather warnings and to advice from local officials and to take preemptive measures to ensure their safety where necessary.

The weather agency has said that a seasonal front has been lingering over the region in the southwest of the country, with storm clouds developing owing to warm and humid air flows.

Kagoshima City, where the evacuation order was issued, has logged more than 40 millimeters of rain between 7:00 a.m and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning, with officials warning of possible mudslides in the wider prefecture.

The extreme downpours will become more active until Thursday, the JMA said, with as much as 80 millimeters per hour expected for some areas in Kyushu, which is as much as the average amount of rainfall for the region for the entire month of July.