Over 1,000 millimeters of rain recorded at 15 points in western and central Japan

More than 1,000 millimeters of rainfall was recorded at 15 observation points in four prefectures due to torrential downpours triggered by Typhoon Prapiroon and a seasonal rain front from late June to early July, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Among them the town of Motoyama in the western prefecture of Kochi experienced the largest amount of rain reaching 1,695.5 millimeters -- about 4.5 times the amount the area experiences during all of July in an average year.

According to the JMA, the excessive rainfall was recorded from June 28 until 8 a.m. on July 9. Kochi Prefecture had eight locations that received more than 1,000 millimeters of precipitation, while Gifu Prefecture in central Japan had four such points with the city of Gujo experiencing 1,214.5 millimeters of rain. In the western prefecture of Tokushima, the town of Naka recorded 1,366 millimeters of rainfall, and another point exceeded the 1,000 millimeter mark. In addition, the village of Otaki in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano had 1,111.5 millimeters of precipitation.

Meanwhile, the JMA announced on July 9 that the annual rainy season is over in the northern part of the southern main island of Kyushu, the Chugoku and Kinki regions of western Japan and the Tokai region in the central part of the country. The Hokuriku region in the northwest of Japan also saw the end of the rainy season.

The prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime, which were hit hard by the latest torrential rains and subsequent floods, are expected to face several hot days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, said JMA officials, warning people to take measures to avoid heatstroke.

(Japanese original by Shiｍpei Torii, Osaka Science & Environment News Department)