Heavy Rain Batters Southern Japan as Twin Tropical Storms Approach

Southern Japan is grappling with torrential rain as two tropical storms—Mekkhala and Higos—move toward the country, raising concerns of further flooding, landslides, and widespread disruption. Meteorologists warn that both storms could make landfall on Saturday, with heavy rainfall expected to intensify across western and eastern Japan through Sunday, The Japan Times reported.

According to the latest weather forecast, Severe Tropical Storm Mekkhala has been downgraded from typhoon status, but it continues to pack maximum sustained winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour (89 mph). As of the latest update, the storm was located about 200 kilometers west-southwest of the Amami Islands and was moving at approximately 15 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Higos is advancing northward toward Japan from the south.

Weather experts have warned that the two storms could interact through the Fujiwhara effect, a phenomenon in which two nearby tropical cyclones influence each other's movement. Depending on their interaction, the storms may move apart, follow one another along a similar path, or even merge into a larger system, making their track and intensity significantly more difficult to forecast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Friday issued a Level 4 landslide alert for Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, and Oita prefectures, urging residents to remain on the highest level of vigilance. In the Kyoto region, local authorities advised several thousand residents to evacuate to safer locations due to the heightened risk of landslides.

The severe weather is also expected to disrupt transportation across the country. Authorities warned that train services on Saturday could face delays or temporary suspensions.

Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have canceled a combined 120 flights serving southern destinations, including Okinawa and Kagoshima.

Heavy rainfall has also affected industrial operations. Toyota Motor Corp. temporarily suspended production lines at several factories from Thursday afternoon through Friday because of transportation disruptions caused by the adverse weather. Operations at one of the company's plants in Kyushu have also been halted.

The JMA forecasts up to 300 millimeters of rainfall in the Tokai region during the 24-hour period ending Saturday afternoon. The Kinki and Shikoku regions are each expected to receive as much as 200 millimeters of rain over the same period.

Mekkhala has also brought severe weather to neighboring Taiwan, where heavy rain, flooding, and landslides have forced the evacuation of more than 1,600 residents. Schools and both government and private offices have been closed in several areas as a precaution. No casualties have been reported so far.