Japan: Evacuation orders issued for Tohoku and Hokuriku regions July 28 /update 1

Event

Japanese authorities issued evacuation orders for parts of the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions in northern and central Japan due to torrential rain on Tuesday morning, July 28. The evacuation orders came after heavy rains caused severe disruptions to transport services in the early hours of Tuesday, especially in the cities of Yurihonjo and Daisen in Akita prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecast further heavy rain across these regions until Wednesday morning, July 29, and issued warnings for further flooding and landslides. Seasonal rain is also expected to affect a wide area stretching from the Sea of Japan to the Tsushima Strait resulting in unstable weather in surrounding regions.

Flooding, landslides, and transportation and business disruptions, as well as disruptions to power and communications services, are expected in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions in the coming days.

Advice

Those in the affected areas are advised to monitor local weather reports, anticipate transportation disruptions, avoid areas directly affected by flooding, confirm road conditions before setting out, and adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, including evacuation orders. Avoid walking or driving through floodwaters.