Weather agency warns of landslides amid heavy rain on isle south of Tokyo

TOKYO - Japan’s weather agency on Sept 7 urged maximum vigilance for landslides triggered by heavy rain on Niijima Island, south of Tokyo.The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special landslide warning for the island as a record 381 millimetres of rain fell there in the 24 hours through 5.20am.Heavy rain also hit eastern Japan including Tokyo from the early hours of Sept 7, with the agency issuing a level 4 landslide alert on its 5-point scale for parts of Chiba and Saitama prefectures, neighbouring Tokyo, as well as the central part of Fukushima Prefecture.The government has set up a liaison headquarters at the prime minister’s office to assess potential damage and streamline emergency responses.The agency is warning of more rainfall in wide areas facing the Pacific as warm and damp air approaches the rain front stretching along the main island of Honshu. KYODO NEWS