The number of people taking refuge at shelters in earthquake-hit Osaka Prefecture grew by more than 1,000 on Wednesday as rain that started in the early hours sparked fears of landslides, with some residents returning to the facilities.
As of 8 a.m., 1,700 people were staying in public shelters in the prefecture, marking a sharp increase from the 580 on Tuesday night, according to the Osaka Prefectural Government.
The Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain warning for the city of Ibaraki and other parts of the prefecture, forecasting up to 150 millimeters of rainfall in the 24 hours through 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Some areas may see torrential rain with thunder, it said.