Downpours have been hitting northern Kyushu and the Chugoku region in western Japan, triggering landslide and flooding alerts. They are also disrupting the operation of the Shinkansen bullet trains that run between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says rain clouds have been developing mainly in western Japan due to exceptionally warm and damp air for the season flowing into a front and a low pressure system.

Bands of rainclouds covered Nagasaki Prefecture before dawn on Saturday, and violent rain hit.

The rain also intensified in the Chugoku region. A part of Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, saw rainfall of 35.5 millimeters in the hour through 9 a.m.

In Imari City, Saga Prefecture, 296.5 millimeters of rain was recorded in the 24 hours through 9 a.m., more than double the normal precipitation for November.

Weather officials say a total of 127 observation points in the Kyushu, Chugoku and Kinki regions recorded their largest-ever 24-hour rainfall for November.

Landslide warnings have been issued for some areas in Fukuoka, Shimane and Hiroshima prefectures.

Some rivers in Kumamoto, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Shimane prefectures currently exceed flood danger levels.

Weather officials say intense rain may continue to affect northern Kyushu and the Chugoku region on Saturday. They also say the front is expected to move to eastern Japan later in the day, possibly bringing heavy rain in wide areas in western and eastern Japan.

The officials are calling for caution against mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas, as well as swollen and overflowing rivers. They are also warning against lightning strikes, hail and gusts, including tornadoes.

Weather officials are calling on people to avoid driving on non-elevated roads along rivers during heavy rain as the risk of flooding is especially high there.

West Japan Railway Company and Central Japan Railway Company say they had temporarily suspended Shinkansen bullet train operation between Tokyo and Hakata stations due to heavy rain and that operations of some trains remain disrupted.