Multiple individuals unaccounted for following intense downpours in southern Japan's regions
Heavy Rain and Flooding Cause Chaos in Southern Japan
Severe heavy rain and flooding have been causing havoc in southern and southwestern Japan, particularly in the Kyushu region, since early August 2025. The affected areas, including Kumamoto and Fukuoka prefectures, have been under evacuation advisories and warnings, with over 3 million people receiving notifications. Around 384,000 people are under the highest-level emergency evacuation warning.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the highest tier heavy rain emergency warnings due to multiple linear precipitation zones that caused intense, localized downpours. In some areas, up to 110 mm of rain fell within an hour. Rivers overflowed, roads submerged, and trains were canceled, disrupting travel during the busy Obon holiday period.
The flooding has resulted in several casualties and missing persons. At least two elderly people have been swept away, and multiple others are missing due to floods and landslides triggered by saturated ground. Rescue operations continue amid the persistent risk of further landslides due to unstable soil conditions.
In Kumamoto, the Meteorological Agency reported that rainfall exceeded 40 centimetres in the last twenty-four hours. More rain was expected throughout Tuesday afternoon in Kumamoto. The agency also expected rainfall in nearby prefectures, including Yamaguchi, Saga, and Nagasaki, until late evening on August 11, 2025, keeping disaster risk high.
Authorities have urged residents to stay in safe locations to avoid landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and river flooding. The Meteorological Agency's alert was not downgraded for all affected areas, as it remained in effect for western Japan. A lower-level warning for western Japan was kept, expecting up to 20 centimetres of rainfall by noon on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has initiated search and rescue operations for those missing. Troops have been deployed to provide fresh water to residents in affected areas. Bullet trains and local train services were suspended between Kagoshima and Hakata in northern Kyushu.
Despite some downgrading of warnings, authorities stress the elevated risk remains. The extreme rainfall follows Japan recording its hottest day in history earlier in August, likely influenced by climate change, which experts believe is increasing the frequency of such extreme weather events.
Two more people are reported missing in the nearby Fukuoka prefecture. Residents are urged to use "maximum caution" and "prioritise actions to save your lives." Rescue workers are searching for missing individuals, including a man who disappeared while waiting in a car to go to an evacuation center as a mudslide hit. An elderly woman was found inside a vehicle that fell into a river in Kumamoto, and three others are reported missing after falling into bursting rivers in Kumamoto.
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- The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) has reported heavy rainfall causing floods that have been ongoing in southern Japan, particularly in Kumamoto and Fukuoka prefectures, since early August 2025.
- The persistent heavy rain and flooding have led to numerous missing individuals and casualties, with rescue operations currently underway throughout the affected areas.
