Torrential rain lashes central Japan, 220,000 instructed to evacuate

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the highest level of alert for heavy rain in more than 20 municipalities in Gifu and Nagano prefectures in the morning, although it was downgraded later in the day, Kyodo reports.

Nearly 5,000 residents in Gifu were temporarily stranded when roads were cut by mudslides, while the Hida River overflowed in the city of Gero, prompting the local meteorological observatory and the land ministry to issue their highest-level alert.

In Kyushu, the death toll from torrential rain that first struck southern parts of the island over the weekend rose to 56, with disaster-affected areas widening to the north.

After the Chikugo and Oita rivers flooded early Wednesday in Oita Prefecture, there have been reports of houses and a vehicle with four passengers being swept away.

As of Wednesday morning, 22 rivers in Kyushu and Ehime have been confirmed to have flooded, and mudslides have occurred at more than 100 locations, according to the land ministry.

A meteorological agency official told a press conference the worst of the rain has moved to the central Japan region of Tokai from Kyushu in the southwest, while warning areas forecast to receive heavy downfalls could change over time.

In Kyushu, the death toll from torrential rain that first struck southern parts of the island over the weekend rose to 56, with disaster-affected areas widening to the north.

After the Chikugo and Oita rivers flooded early Wednesday in Oita Prefecture, there have been reports of houses and a vehicle with four passengers being swept away.