Japanese weather officials are warning that the Sea of Japan side of the country's northeastern Tohoku region, including disaster-hit Akita Prefecture, is expected to have heavy rain through Thursday.

They are calling people to watch out for landslides, overflowing rivers and flooding of low-lying land, and stay updated on weather information.

The Meteorological Agency says warm, damp air is flowing toward the Tohoku region along the periphery of a high-pressure system, bringing intermittent rain on Monday.

It adds that from Tuesday, a seasonal rain front will hang over the region again, likely bringing torrential rains through Thursday.
The seasonal front brought record rainfall to the region on Saturday and Sunday, inundating hundreds of houses, vehicles and rice fields in wide areas.

Weather officials say 80 millimeters of rain is expected over 24 hours through Tuesday evening in some areas on the Japan Sea side of the region, and 50 to 100 millimeters over another 24 hours through Wednesday.

For 24 hours through Thursday evening, another 50 to 100 millimeters of rain is expected.

They warn that soil in Akita Prefecture and other Tohoku regions has been loosened by continued rain. They say some rivers are still swollen and their banks are damaged, possibly leading to more disasters even with weaker rain.

They are calling on people not to approach mountain slopes or swollen rivers.

Officials also say the front is expected to move south from Wednesday through Thursday, likely bringing heavy rain to Niigata Prefecture and the Hokuriku region.