Heavy Rain Emergency Warning Issued Temporarily for Southwestern Japan Isle

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain emergency warning for the island town of Yoron in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Saturday.

Under the warning issued at 2:40 a.m., the agency urged residents to immediately take measures to protect their lives. Although the heavy rain emergency warning was downgraded to a heavy rain warning at 2 p.m., the agency called on locals to remain alert for landslides, inundation of low-lying areas and swollen rivers.

The highest-level warning on the country's five-tier disaster alert system was issued temporarily for part of the village of Ogimi in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, with residents urged to take emergency measures for the protection of their lives.

In Kagoshima's Amami region and the northern part of Okinawa's main island, warm and humid air flowed in between Friday night and early Saturday, causing torrential rain.

According to the Kagoshima prefectural government, there had been no reports of injuries in the prefecture as of noon Saturday. In Yoron, 15 buildings were flooded above floor level and eight buildings were inundated below floor level, while a landslide was confirmed to have occurred.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]