Heavy rain batters Japan

Tokyo: Heavy rain triggered flooding in parts of western Japan on Friday as two approaching tropical storms intensified a seasonal rain front lingering over the country. Tropical Storm Mekkhala was moving northeast off the western coast of the southern Amami Islands on Friday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Another tropical storm, Higos, was travelling nearby. The JMA said both storms were expected to reach the Tokyo region on Saturday, bringing heavy rainfall. A man was injured after falling into a waterway in Nara, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Television footage showed the Kamo River in Kyoto swollen with muddy water. Flood alerts were issued for parts of Kyoto, Osaka and other areas in western Japan.

Fire and Disaster Manage­ment Agency said over 30 homes were flooded in Nara and Hiro­shima.

Flights cancelled, trains suspended

More than 200 flights have been cancelled, train services suspended and expressways closed, authorities said. Landslide warnings and evacuation orders have affected around one million people. 

—AP