Overview

• Japan’s meteorological agency urged strict vigilance for landslides, urban flooding and river rises across Hokkaido and northern Japan as severe storms persisted on Wednesday.
• Short, intense cloudbursts have already occurred, with Kaga City in Ishikawa recording more than 70 mm in one hour, the highest on record at that site.
• Forecasters flagged the potential for a linear precipitation band over Hokkaido from the early hours into the morning of August 27, which could rapidly elevate localized disaster risk.
• Through Wednesday evening, rainfall could reach about 150 mm in parts of Hokkaido and up to 120 mm in some coastal areas, with additional guidance of 90 mm for Kanto-Koshin and 80 mm for Kinki through August 28.
• The risk is compounded by earlier heavy rain that has loosened soil, as the low-pressure system moves toward the Sea of Okhotsk with a cold front enhancing thunderstorms from northern to western Japan.