Japan faces another round of flooding rain, travel disruptions this weekend
A pregnant mom and her 9-year-old son were found dead in a vehicle after it was swept away by floodwaters during heavy rain across Pennsylvania Thursday.
With the ground left saturated after last week's record rain, western and southern Japan are more susceptible to renewed flooding and mudslides as a band of heavy rain sweeps through this weekend.
The latest in the rounds of rain tracking from eastern China to Japan will continue this weekend.
The rain will soak Kyushu, Shikoku and western Honshu on Saturday before spreading to southern Honshu at night.
Kumamoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo are among the cities in the path of the soaking rain.
The highest rainfall totals are expected along the corridor from the northern prefectures in Kyushu to Chiba prefecture in southeastern Honshu. Within this zone, rainfall totals will average 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 150 mm (6 inches).
Amounts may range from 12 to 40 mm (0.5 to 1.50 inches) in Tokyo.
Worse than ruining outdoor weekend plans, the heavy rain can trigger flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas. Already swollen streams and rivers can be brought back out of their banks. Mudslides can threaten lives and property in the higher terrain.
These dangers can quickly ensue in areas that have been hit hard by torrential rainfall earlier this month.
Travelers should prepare for potential disruptions on roads and railways as well as in the air. Officials may be forced to close roads that become inundated with flood waters, while downpours will bring reduced visibility and hydroplaning hazards to motorists.
Southern Kyushu, where rainfall records were shattered last week, may escape the heaviest rainfall this weekend. Localized downpours, however, are still expected and may renew flooding and mudslide concerns.
Another round of downpours may stream over southern Kyushu on Sunday as downpours lessen elsewhere in Japan.
This weekend may not be the end of heavy rain targeting Japan.
Additional localized downpours can return to southern Kyushu on Monday. More of western and southern Japan may face the next round of heavy rain later in the week.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert of flood dangers.
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