Central Japan issues mass evacuations due to unprecedented rainfall

Mass evacuation orders were issued for hundreds of thousands of residents in central Japan following unprecedented torrential rainfall. The extreme precipitation caused rivers to overflow, flooding residential neighborhoods and triggering landslides.

Japan's weather agency issued its highest-level emergency rain warnings for Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. Subsequently, a Level 5 warning was issued in Fukui prefecture, where approximately 400,000 people were urged to take precautions against heavy rain.

The flooding and landslides pose significant risks to infrastructure, including roads, farmlands, and access to essential services such as clean water, electricity, and medical care.