Rainy season begins in Kanto and central Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced Sunday that the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions have entered the rainy season.The arrival of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin region, which includes the Tokyo metropolitan area, is about the same time as the average year and one day later than usual for the central Tokai region, according to the agency.The declaration comes as a seasonal rain front is expected to bring wet weather to wide areas of the country in the coming days, with heavy rain forecast for parts of western and eastern Japan.The rainy season arrived in the Amami and Okinawa regions in early May, while the Kyushu, Chugoku and Kinki regions saw the season start earlier this month.Normally, the annual prolonged period of rainfall lasts until June 21 and June 29 in Okinawa and Amami regions, respectively. For the rest of the country, it normally runs until mid- to late July.Meanwhile, the agency on Sunday warned of landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and rising river levels for the Shikoku region, as well as lightning and strong winds in western Japan.With the low-pressure system accompanying a rain front moving east-northeast in the southern Kyushu region, warm and humid air is pouring into the system, making the atmospheric condition unstable, the agency said.Maximum rainfall over the 24 hours through 12 p.m. Monday is expected to reach 200 millimeters in Shikoku.
