The evacuation of 131,400 people in seven cities and towns in Ishikawa prefecture in western Honshu island has been announced, NHK television reported. The ongoing rains in the area have already caused the death of one person and six people are missing.
There are reports from the area of river flooding and landslides. At least 6,000 households in the prefecture were left without electricity. Mobile communications have been disrupted.
The main impact of the disaster fell on the town of Noto and the cities of Wajima and Suzu: these are the settlements that suffered the most during the strong earthquake of January 1 this year.
Wajima recorded record rainfall on Saturday, with more than 300 millimetres falling in 24 hours, the highest since 1975. In the city of Suzu, more than 200 millimetres fell in 24 hours. Rainfall eased slightly on Sunday morning, but forecasters warned of a new peak in the afternoon.
