Japan Meteorological Agency issues warnings of landslides amid torrential rains

Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued warnings of landslides, flooding, and rising river levels as torrential rains hammer the Hokuriku region. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a record 148 millimetres of rain was recorded over a three-hour period. The JMA also noted that a band of rain clouds had formed over Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture, a central region devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024, which claimed more than 600 lives. Authorities remain on high alert amid fears of further damage. The unstable conditions stem from a low-pressure system over the Sea of Japan. The rain front is expected to drift southward, affecting wide areas from eastern to western Japan through Saturday.