The highest rainfall alert was issued in Hiroshima Prefecture, warning of flooding, swelling rivers and mudslides.
Local authorities on the island of Kyushu confirmed the woman’s death and two others were missing when a mudslide destroyed two homes in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture.
A Level 5 alert was issued in the outskirts of Hiroshima, the highest on Japan’s five-point alert scale. Residents have been called to take steps to ensure their safety.
“Residents must ensure their safety immediately because their lives are in danger,” said Ryota Korura, director of the forecast department of the Meteorological Agency, at a press conference in Tokyo.
The rain front is expected to last for about a week, raising fears of more rain, the agency said.
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