Tropical Storm Mekkhala and Tropical Storm Higos
© JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCYA map depicting rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Mekkhala and Tropical Storm Higos
Two tropical storms were bringing heavy rains to parts of Japan on Saturday, with Level 4 landslide warnings issued for areas of Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, just a day after a powerful earthquake shook Yamanashi Prefecture.

The Level 4 warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is the second-highest, which means that the risk of landslide is extremely high and people should evacuate from affected areas.

The Level 4 warnings were issued for the city of Miura, in Kanagawa Prefecture, and a broad swath of southern Chiba Prefecture. Parts of Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures were also under Level 3 warnings.

Tropical Storm Mekkhala was churning over waters some 140 kilometers south of Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture. The storm is forecast to head northeastward along the Pacific coast, bringing rain to the southern Kanto area late Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, Tropical Storm Higos skirted southern Chiba Prefecture before moving northeast out over the Pacific Ocean.

The JMA has urged the public to remain on high alert for landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas due to heavy rain.



The two storms helped shatter June records for rain in a number of areas in eastern and southern Chiba Prefecture, including 223 millimeters in the city of Choshi, 195 mm in the city of Kimitsu, 183 mm in the town of Kyonan, 170 mm in the city of Mobara and 151 mm in the city of Ichihara over the 24 hours through 5:50 p.m. Saturday, according to the JMA.

Heavy rain was forecast overnight Saturday, with parts of Shizuoka Prefecture expected to see 250 millimeters, 200 millimeters in the Kanto region and Izu island chain and 150 millimeters in the Kinki region.

The storms approached after Friday night's magnitude 5.6 earthquake, which jolted Yamanashi and its surrounding prefectures, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, causing damage to some structures and triggering concerns of further landslides amid the heavy rains.

The quake occurred at 10:29 p.m. at a depth of 20 kilometers. It registered a lower 6 on Japan's 7-point shindо scale in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture, an upper 5 in the city of Otsuki, and a lower 5 in some areas of Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures. According to the JMA a lower 6 makes it difficult to stand, and unsecured furniture may fall over.