Weather officials warn that an active seasonal rain front will likely bring downpours to Sea of Japan coastal areas from western to northern Japan on Friday and Saturday.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says disasters could occur in places where the ground has been loosened by rain. It warns that there may be heavy precipitation in areas that usually have less rainfall.

The agency's senior forecaster, Tachihara Shuichi, says a much larger amount of damp air is expected to flow toward the seasonal rain front.

He says total rainfall over the two days could reach up to 200 millimeters in the Hokuriku and Chugoku regions along the Sea of Japan coast, and there is a possibility of disasters. These regions usually have less rainfall.

Tachihara says it is very difficult to predict whether bands of clouds that cause torrential rain will develop. He says the agency will issue a warning if the development of such rain cloud bands becomes highly likely.

He says the risk of disasters remains high in some areas as rain has continued to fall nationwide since Monday. He says the seasonal rain front is expected to remain stationary around Japan from Sunday.

Tachihara says rain fronts are usually most active in late June and July and people should remain on high alert for heavy rainfall. He advises checking available escape routes and evacuation facilities by using hazard maps.