Japan's Meteorological Agency says an active rain front hovering over the country's main island of Honshu is bringing rain clouds to areas between western and northern Japan, especially on the Sea of Japan coast.

The rain front moved south on Saturday afternoon, causing heavy intermittent rain in northern Kyushu and the Chugoku region.

Thirty-seven millimeters of rain fell on Asakura City in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan between 5 and 6 p.m.

The rain front is expected to remain active without changing its position, causing heavy intermittent rain in northern Kyushu, the Chugoku region and the Hokuriku region up to Tuesday.

In the 24 hours through Sunday evening, up to 250 millimeters of rainfall is expected in northern Kyushu, 200 millimeters in Yamaguchi Prefecture, 180 millimeters in the Tokai and Hokuriku regions, 150 millimeters in the Chugoku and Kanto-Koshin regions and Niigata Prefecture.

Meteorological Agency officials are calling for special caution in the Kyushu and Chugoku regions where the ground has loosened and levees may have been damaged due to heavy rain.

Officials are advising people to be on the alert for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers, as well as lightning and gusting winds.