Heavy rain is hitting the Kyushu region in western Japan. Weather officials are warning of more downpours through Saturday, increasing the chances of landslides and other disasters.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says atmospheric conditions are becoming unstable in wide areas from western to northern Japan due to a front accompanied by a low in the Sea of Japan.

In the one-hour period through 11 a.m. on Friday, 51 millimeters of rain fell in the city of Usa in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu. The city of Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture, also in Kyushu, had 34 millimeters of rain during the same period.

Landslide warnings are in place for some parts of Oita, Saga and Fukuoka prefectures.

Weather officials say atmospheric conditions will continue to be unstable in much of Japan through Saturday, particularly along the Sea of Japan coast, with hourly rainfall of more than 80 millimeters and lightning in some places.

They also project that bands of developed thunderclouds could linger over northern and southern Kyushu as well as neighboring Yamaguchi Prefecture through Saturday morning. This could suddenly increase rainfall and the risk of disasters.

Heavy rain is also forecast in the Hokuriku and Chugoku regions along the Sea of Japan coast, which normally do not have as much rain as the Pacific side.

Rainfall during the 24-hour period through Saturday noon is expected to reach up to 300 millimeters in northern and southern Kyushu, 250 millimeters in the Shikoku and Kansai regions, 200 millimeters in Yamaguchi Prefecture and 180 millimeters in the Hokuriku and Tokai regions.

Weather officials are warning of landslides, flooding of low-lying land, swollen rivers as well as lightning strikes and wind gusts, including tornadoes.