Tens of thousands of people across four cities in central Japan have been ordered to evacuate as weather forecasts warn of massive flooding due to heavy rain.
About 18,000 people in Wajima City and about 12,000 people in Suzu City were notified to evacuate to Ishikawa Prefecture on Honshu Island.
According to AFP, 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also ordered to evacuate.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a heavy rain emergency, its highest warning level, for parts of the area.
