Weather officials are warning of torrential rain in western and eastern Japan through Tuesday. They are calling on the public to be on high alert for possible landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.

The Meteorological Agency says atmospheric conditions are expected to be extremely unstable in western and eastern Japan through Tuesday due to a front stretching over Japan's main island of Honshu.

The officials say rain clouds are developing over the Kyushu region and other parts of the country, likely bringing localized downpours accompanied by lightning. Kyushu is likely to be hit by especially hard rains.

Hita City in Oita Prefecture had 412 milliliters of rainfall from last Wednesday to 3 p.m. on Monday. Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture had 343 millimeters during the same period.

The continued rainfall has sharply increased the risk of landslides in Fukuoka, Oita and Yamaguchi prefectures. Mudslide alerts have been issued for some parts of these prefectures.

In the 24-hour period through Tuesday evening, up to 150 millimeters of rain is forecast for the Chugoku region. The Kinki region is expected to see as much as 120 millimeters. Up to 100 millimeters is likely in the northern Kyushu region, 80 millimeters in the Tokai and Shikoku regions, and 60 millimeters in the Hokuriku region.

Weather officials are also urging caution over lightning, violent winds and hail.

People are advised not to approach slopes and other potentially dangerous sites as even a small amount of rainfall could increase the risk of landslides.