Heavy rainfall hit parts of western Japan beginning early Friday, causing more than 800 people to evacuate their homes and disrupting train services throughout the region.
In Hiroshima Prefecture alone, 775 people had fled to shelters as of 10 a.m. Friday, while dozens more in Yamaguchi and Ehime prefectures had also sought refuge. No injuries have been reported in those areas, where more than 200 people were killed due to torrential rains last July.
The Meteorological Agency said total rainfall in the half-day period through Friday morning exceeded 200 millimeters in the village of Umaji, Kochi Prefecture, and 170 mm in the town of Taragi, Kumamoto Prefecture.