Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Friday as torrential rains triggered floods and landslides in northern and central Japan, authorities said. The city of Nanao issued an evacuation orders to about 8,000 residents as the region's Kumaki River flooded in the morning. More than 1,000 people were ordered to leave in the prefecture of Yamagata. A seasonal rain front dumped heavy rain in the prefectures of Yamagata and Ishikawa, with rainfall of 71 millimeters in the hour until 11 am in Shika and 53 millimeters in Nanao, both in Ishikawa, dpa reported. The Meteorological Agency warned of mudslides, flooding and swollen rivers. Rainfall of up to 180 millimeters is forecast for the north-east and the Hokuriku region and up to 120 millimeters for the Chugoku region in western Japan by morning on Saturday, the agency said.
