More than 540 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Wajima in the 72 hours to Sunday morning — the heaviest continuous rain since comparative data became available in 1976
Six people were killed and 10 remained unaccounted for Sunday as search efforts continued a day after heavy rain hit Noto, a region in Ishikawa Prefecture already devastated by a powerful earthquake.
Rescue operations and restoration work were also ongoing in the area, as record rainfall caused flooding at nearly two dozen rivers and triggered landslides, cutting off roads and isolating more than 100 communities.
Two of the six fatalities were found near a landslide-hit tunnel in Wajima that suffered significant damage from the January 1 earthquake and was under repair, according to the land ministry. Some workers at the site were rescued.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Elsewhere in the prefecture, two people remained missing after being swept away by swollen rivers and eight others were reported as unaccounted for.
In the 48 hours through Sunday afternoon, Wajima recorded almost 500 millimetres (mm) of rainfall and Suzu received nearly 400 mm. Both cities on the Noto Peninsula had been under heavy rain warnings since the previous day.
The amount of rainfall in the two cities reached twice the levels for September in an average year. As the heavy rain abated, the weather agency downgraded its "special warnings" for the cities and the town of Noto to simply "warnings" in the morning.
Yet the Japan Meteorological Agency urged people in Ishikawa and Niigata, another prefecture along the Sea of Japan that experienced over 300 mm rainfall in the 48 hours, to maintain strict vigilance against further disasters resulting from heavy rain until noon on Monday.
As the ground in some areas of the two prefectures has loosened due to the magnitude 7.6 quake that struck in January, compounded by the rain, even a small amount of further rain could increase the risk of landslides, the agency warned.
ALSO READ:
More than 540 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Wajima in the 72 hours to Sunday morning — the heaviest continuous rain since comparative data became available in 1976
Heavy rains flood Gaza displacement camps
Opposition politicians from the left say they will challenge Barnier's government with a no-confidence motion, with far-right politicians also slamming its composition
Labour to make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal available from the first day on the job, although probation periods would remain in place
Incumbent Wickremesinghe knocked out of race
It was a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine and 69 workers were there at the time
Lebanon's health ministry said at least 14 people died in the attack and the toll was expected to climb
Among the failures identified were poor communication with local law enforcement, an over-reliance on mobile devices, and line of sight issues