Policemen search for missing people at collapsed houses following a landslide caused by heavy rains in Minamiaso town, Kumamoto prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 12, 2012. (Image courtesy of Reuters)
[warning] PARTS OF WESTERN JAPAN HAS RECIEVED THEIR GREATEST 24-HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS ON RECORD, PRODUCING LANDSLIDES AND CAUSING AS MANY AS 15 DEATHS [/warning]
A boundary which sets up during the summer months over mid-latitude Asia known as the ‘rainy season boundary’, lifted north and stalled over Japan over the past 36 hours producing astonishing and record breaking rainfall which has caused massive problems with flash flooding which lead to landslides and death.
This boundary allows areas of low pressure to work west to east and can dump tremendous rains over both short and long durations. The tropical influence of these rains can lead to torrential downpours which not only produce big rainfall totals in short periods of time but can also last hours. With warm, moist air converging and slamming up against the hilly terrain over western Japan, these vast rainclouds have came in and dumped upwards of 20 inches of rain within 24 hours with over 12-18 inches falling in just a few hours.
According to westernpacificweather.com, Kumamoto Prefecture is said to have recieved as much as 108mm of rain in just 1 hour and while these rains lasted several hours, totals mounted to as much as 508mm within just 24 hours.
This as you would expect has lead to devastating flash floods as rivers burst their banks and we see landslides occur, sadly taking as many as 15 lives.
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