Photo/Illutration Precipitation data over a three-hour period through 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 3 shows linear rainbands producing torrential rain in wider areas of Aomori and Akita prefectures. (Captured from the Japan Meteorological Agency’s website)

Linear rainbands have dumped record levels of heavy rain in Aomori and Akita prefectures, causing mudslides and flooding in some parts of the areas.

The rainbands, called "senjo kosuitai," have produced torrential rains in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, as well as the coastal and inland areas of Akita Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on the morning of Aug. 3.

The prefectures received an estimated 100 millimeters of rainfall per hour, according to the agency.

The JMA said a record 154 mm of rain, or the equivalent of an average monthly rainfall for August, fell in Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture, over a three-hour period through shortly after 8 a.m.

At 1:09 p.m., the JMA released similar information about linear rainbands covering the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture and the Kaetsu region of Niigata Prefecture, and they are warning about the heightened risks of mudslides and flooding in those areas.

The heavy rains caused the Oirasegawa river in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, to swell above the flood-risk level at two observation points from 6 a.m. through shortly past 7 a.m., according to the prefectural government.

It said the water level remained above that at one of the observation points as of 9:30 a.m.

A mudslide occurred along a national road near Lake Towadako in Kosaka, Akita Prefecture, at around 7:30 a.m.

One motorist traveling near the site was stranded after driving over the mud but suffered no injuries, according to a local fire department. It said no other cars were caught in the landslide, adding it also confirmed multiple mudslides near the area.

The Shimonaigawa river burst its banks in Odate’s Matsuki district at around 11:40 a.m., inundating nearby rice paddies, officials from the Akita prefectural government said.

The entrance to the building of Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station in Imabetsu, Aomori Prefecture, on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line was flooded at 8:45 a.m. following the torrential rains, according to Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido).

The railway operator said two passengers stranded inside the building were waiting for the flood water to recede.

The JMA expects heavy rain in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions through before noon on Aug. 4, urging residents to be vigilant against mudslides and flooding in low-lying areas.

The expected rainfall for the 24-hour period through 6 a.m. on Aug. 4 is up to 180 mm in Tohoku and 150 mm in Hokuriku.

Nationwide, many areas sweltered in scorching heat on Aug. 2, recording daytime highs of 39.5 degrees in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, and in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture.

The intense heat is expected to continue for more than a week.

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