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JAPAN has been hit by record-breaking rainfall this week with more downpours forecast on Saturday and Sunday - here is how much rain has fallen.

Japan’s latest band of extreme weather has seen torrential downpours, mudslides and flooding bringing misery to hundreds of thousands of people. Two women died after being caught up in separate landslides triggered by the torrential downpours in Kagoshima prefecture.

So much rain has fallen across the country this week that more than one million people were ordered to evacuate their homes by officials.

Residents in Kyushu, Japan’s most southerly main island, were told not to go home in order to avoid the threat of landslides.

Kyushu received 39.4 inches of rain, double the usual amount it receives in the whole of July, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Accuweather said one-day weather records were “shattered” across the country.

In Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, 18.60 inches of rain fell on Wednesday beating the previous all-time high of 15.87 inches on September 6, 2000.
Kanoya saw 18.60 inches of rain on Wednesday beating the previous total of 15.87 cinches from September 6, 2005.

The weather forecaster also said records were broken in south-central Honshu Island for the large amount of rainfall in one hour during the month of July.

On Wednesday morning a total of 3.03 inches fell, eclipsing the previous record of 2.89 inches set three years earlier.

Is more rain on the way?

More rain is forecast tomorrow in Tokyo, Utsunomiya, Osaka, Amami, Naha and Ishigaki. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said between three and six inches could fall across prefectures stretching from Chiba to southern Wakayama.

Tokyo could be at risk of flash flooding in low-lying areas with predictions of between two and three inches of rainfall.

She said: “Air travelers should prepare for delays on Saturday, especially later in the day and evening when the heaviest rain will pour down.”

The latest floods follow on from last summer when Japan was battered by torrential rains.

Heavy rains in Kyushu triggered landslides and floods, killing more than 200 people in Japan’s worst weather disaster in 36 years.

The government was criticised for its slow response to the flooding last year. This week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to “do our best for rescue and life-saving activities”.

About 14,000 military troops were placed on standby to help with rescue efforts as needed.