Japan’s Meteorological Agency says the rainy season has set in for two southwestern regions and that it is over for the southern prefecture of Okinawa.
The agency declared at 11 a.m. on Sunday the start of the rainy season for northern Kyushu and Shikoku, and the end of it in Okinawa.
The start of the rainy season is four days later than the average for northern Kyushu and three days later for Shikoku, but nine days earlier than last year for both areas.
The end of rainy season in Okinawa was the earliest since the agency began taking the current form of statistics. It ended on the same day in 2015.
In southern Kyushu, where the rainy season started earlier, warm, moist air over the region is intensifying rain in limited areas.
Fifty-three millimeters of rain were recorded in just one hour Sunday morning in the town of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. Similar rainfalls are expected in northern Kyushu starting on Monday.
Expected maximum precipitation over the next 24 hours through Monday morning are: 80 millimeters in northern Kyushu, where the rainy season has just started, and 120 millimeters in southern Kyushu.
Expected rainfall over the next 24 hours through Tuesday morning are 150 millimeters for both areas.
The seasonal rain front is expected to remain over western and eastern Japan for some time, adding more rainfall.
The agency is advising caution against landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and swollen rivers.
It is urging residents to check hazards in areas around their houses and workplaces, as well as where and how to evacuate before rain intensifies.
AloJapan.com