Torrential Downpour Alert Declared for a City in Southwestern Japan
Heavy Rain Emergency Lifted in Kirishima, Japan
A heavy rain emergency warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for Kirishima, a city in Kagoshima prefecture, on August 8, 2025, has been downgraded and lifted. The emergency, the highest level on Japan’s five-tier disaster alert system, was initially declared due to record rainfall causing severe flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage.
The warning was issued at 5 a.m. on a Friday and was downgraded to a heavy rain warning at 1:30 p.m. The heavy rain reached a record 107.5 mm in one hour and over 480 mm in 12 hours, roughly 1.8 times the city’s August average.
During the emergency, torrential rain caused damage in Kirishima and Kagoshima city areas. One house collapsed in Kirishima and another in Aira, sending two women to hospital. Two trucks also fell from a bridge due to road damage in Kirishima, resulting in minor injuries. About 40 people, including children, were briefly isolated at a campsite by a road cut-off.
Approximately 450 homes in Kagoshima Prefecture experienced power outages, and 14,300 homes lacked running water in Aira city as of the evening of August 8.
The immediate emergency state in Kirishima has eased, but ongoing recovery and caution are needed as heavy rain persists in the wider Kyushu region. The Japanese government has expressed commitment to supporting evacuations and rescue operations in the affected areas.
While the emergency warning for Kirishima was critical and prompted significant local impacts, it was downgraded and lifted by August 8, with ongoing recovery and caution as heavy rain persists in the wider Kyushu region.
Artists across Japan were inspired to capture the heavy rain in Kirishima through their photography, as the city received record amounts on August 8, 2025. Despite the weather-forecasting predictions indicating more rain in the Kyushu region, the local government has promised to support evacuations and rescue operations to ensure public safety.
