Two tropical storms were bringing heavy rains to parts of Japan on Saturday, with Level 3 landslide warnings issued for some areas of Shizuoka and Osaka prefectures, just hours after a powerful earthquake shook Yamanashi Prefecture.
The Level 3 warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is the third-highest.
As of 9:30 a.m., Tropical Storm Higos had skirted southern Chiba Prefecture before moving northeast over the Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Mekkhala, meanwhile, was churning off the coast of the Kyushu region. The storm is forecast to move closer to land, heading eastward along the Pacific coast through Sunday.
The JMA has urged the public to remain on high alert for landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas due to heavy rain.
Higos had already brought nearly 150 millimeters of rain ¡ª a record for June ¡ª to the coastal city of Choshi, in Chiba Prefecture, over the 12 hours through 9 a.m. Saturday, the JMA said.
Heavy rain was forecast through Sunday morning, with parts of Shizuoka Prefecture expected to see 250 millimeters, 200 millimeters in the Kanto region and Izu island chain and 150 millimeters in the Kinki region.
The storms approached after Friday night¡¯s magnitude 5.6 earthquake, which jolted Yamanashi and its surrounding prefectures, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, causing damage to some structures and triggering concerns of further landslides amid the heavy rains.
The quake occurred at 10:29 p.m. at a depth of 20 kilometers. It registered a lower 6 on Japan¡¯s 7-point shind§à scale in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture, an upper 5 in the city of Otsuki, and a lower 5 in some areas of Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures. According to the JMA a lower 6 makes it difficult to stand, and unsecured furniture may fall over.
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