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Heavy rain pounds western Japan as 2 tropical storms approach

TOKYO (AP) — Heavy downpours triggered flooding in parts of western Japan on Friday as two approaching tropical storms added to a seasonal rain front already stuck above the country.

Storm Mekkhala was off the western coast of Japan’s southern remote island of Amami as of late afternoon Friday as it headed northeast, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Another storm, Higos, was traveling nearby and the two storms are expected to reach the Tokyo region Saturday while dumping heavy rain, the JMA said.

Earlier Friday, a man was injured as he fell into a waterway in Nara, according to Japan’s NHK public television.

Television footage from Kyoto showed the Kamo River swollen with muddy water. A flooding alert was issued in parts of Kyoto, Osaka and other areas in western Japan.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 30 homes were flooded in Nara and Hiroshima on Friday. Heavy rain also disrupted some train operations and flights in the area.

Heavy rain pounds western Japan as 2 tropical storms approach | iNFOnews.ca
City workers repair a road damaged by water from a manhole following heavy rain, in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, June 26, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)
Heavy rain pounds western Japan as 2 tropical storms approach | iNFOnews.ca
Passengers check train service status as two approaching tropical storms trigger heavy rainfalls, at JR Odawara station in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

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