In Japan, around 30,000 people in two cities in the central part of the country have been ordered to evacuate after weather forecasters warned of major flooding caused by heavy rain. About 18,000 people in the city of Wajima and another 12,000 in Suzu have been told to seek shelter in Ishikawa Prefecture, on Honshu Island.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency, the highest alert level, for parts of the prefecture. According to official media, 12 rivers in the prefecture have breached their banks. Mudslide alerts have been issued for parts of Ishikawa, Yamagata, and Niigata Prefectures, which have already seen significant rainfall.
