Record rainfall in central Japan's Noto region has killed at least one person, prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands and caused blackouts for more than 6,000 households.
Hourly rainfall hit a record 121 millimetres on Saturday morning in the city of Wajima, while neighbouring Suzu received 84.5 millimetres in an hour — also an all-time high.
TV footage showed brown floodwater turning streets into rivers in Wajima, with cars half submerged.
A dozen rivers in the region had burst their banks by 11am local time, land ministry official Masaru Kojima said.
TV footage showed brown floodwater turning streets into rivers in Wajima, with cars half submerged. (Reuter: Kyodo)
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said it issued its highest-level warning for Ishikawa, advising of a "life-threatening situation".
The areas under the warning were seeing "heavy rain of unprecedented levels", JMA forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto told reporters, adding "it is a situation in which you have to secure your safety immediately".
Two people were seriously injured in Ishikawa, the region's government said in a statement.
Self-Defense Force personnel have been sent to the Ishikawa region to join rescue workers.
A dozen rivers in the region had burst their banks by 11am local time. (Reuters: Kyodo)
The record rainfall and flooding has inundated the region while reconstruction from a major New Year's Day earthquake is still underway.
Public broadcaster NHK said seven people — including four working on quake reconstruction — have been reported missing, and calls for rescue were swamping the fire department.
Military personnel have been dispatched to the region to work on a rescue mission along with police officers and fire fighters, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
"This is heavy rain in the region that suffered massive damage by the Noto peninsula earthquake. There must be many people who are very worried," Mr Hayashi said.
The event has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands and caused blackouts for more than 6,000 households. (Reuters: Kyodo)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed the government "to do its best in disaster management with saving people's lives as the first priority", Mr Hayashi told reporters.
Eiichi Higashi, a Wajima resident taking shelter at an evacuation centre within the city, told NHK that people were rushing to the facility as evening neared.
"It's tough to see people who live in temporary housing after losing their houses to the quake now coming to yet another shelter because of the rain," Higashi said.
The 7.6 magnitude quake killed more than 300 people in Suzu, Wajima and surrounding areas.
Reuters/AFP