Heavy rain halts north-eastern Japan bullet trains, agency warns of flooding
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Shinkansen bullet train services in different prefectures had to be cancelled early in the afternoon of Sept 2 because of heavy rain.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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TOKYO - Some bullet train services in north-eastern Japan were cancelled on Sept 2 due to heavy rain, with the weather agency warning of landslides and flooding in the region as rainfall is expected to continue through Sept 3.
JR East reported that Shinkansen bullet train services in Akita Prefecture were halted early in the afternoon of Sept 2 between Omagari and Akita stations due to rain.
The suspension was later extended to Morioka Station in neighboring Iwate prefecture.
On Sept 2, the city of Akita issued the highest-level emergency alert for more than 4,500 residents to ensure their safety, as the Shinjo River had overflowed.
Gojome and Senboku issued the same alert for some areas.
Total precipitation is expected to exceed the average monthly amount for September in some areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has also urged caution regarding lightning, sudden gusts and hail across the archipelago.
According to the agency, low pressure systems over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan are moving northeastward and shifting toward the eastern Kuril Islands and Japan. KYODO NEWS
