Parts of Hokkaido under heavy rain alert

Parts of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido have been under alert for severe downpours with bands of heavy rain clouds developing. Weather officials are calling on people to be on the alert for landslides, swollen rivers, flooding in low-lying areas, as well as strong winds.

The alert has been issued for the Kushiro and Tokachi regions of Hokkaido. Atsuma Town recorded 165.5 millimeters of rainfall during a six-hour period through 1:00 a.m. This is the highest on record in the town, topping the monthly average for September.