TOKYO - A river in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita swelled and overflowed on Wednesday, prompting the country's weather agency to issue its highest-level warning and urge residents to take safety measures.
Early Thursday, the emergency flood warning was downgraded to an advisory.
The Koyoshi River was seen overflowing in the Yurihonjo area, Japan's land ministry said earlier. Some roads in the city were inundated, but there were no reports of injuries or damage, according to the prefecture and police.
The Level 5 warning, the agency's highest, means a disaster is likely already occurring and residents are urged to take necessary steps to protect themselves.
The Tohoku region has received heavy rain since Tuesday night due to the influence of warm, moist air.
Some 129 millimeters of rain fell at a point in Yurihonjo, a record for October, in the 24 hours through Wednesday afternoon, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
