Japan urges 200,000 people to evacuate due to heavy rain

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that “warm moist air … caused heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in western Japan” in part due to Kongrei, which was downgraded to an extratropical low pressure system after the typhoon.

The city of Matsuyama “issued the highest alert, urging 189,552 residents in its 10 wards to evacuate and secure immediate safety,” a city official told AFP.

Although evacuations were not mandatory, Japan’s highest-level warning is usually issued when it is extremely likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred.

Forecasters warned that landslides and flooding could affect western Japan on Saturday and eastern Japan on Sunday.

Shinkansen high-speed trains between Tokyo and the southern region of Fukuoka were briefly suspended in the morning due to rain before resuming on a delayed schedule.

Kong Ray hit Taiwan on Thursday as one of the biggest storms to hit the island in decades.

According to the National Fire Agency, at least three people were killed and 690 people were injured in the accident on Saturday, among the migrant workers who died.

The storm knocked out power to 957,061 households, with 27,781 still in the dark as of Saturday.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the risk of heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.