Heavy rainfall battered western Japan on Friday, causing flooding in multiple areas as two tropical storms moved toward the country on top of an already-active seasonal rain front.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Tropical Storm Mekkhala was positioned off the western coast of Amami, a remote southern Japanese island, late Friday afternoon and was tracking northeast. A second storm, Higos, was traveling in close proximity to Mekkhala.
The JMA warned that both storms are expected to arrive in the Tokyo region by Saturday, bringing heavy rainfall with them.
Earlier Friday, a man was hurt after falling into a waterway in Nara, Japan’s NHK public television reported. Television cameras in Kyoto captured images of the Kamo River running high with murky, mud-filled water. Flooding alerts were put in place for portions of Kyoto, Osaka, and other communities throughout western Japan.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that more than 30 residences were flooded in Nara and Hiroshima on Friday. The severe weather also caused disruptions to train service and air travel in the affected areas.
