Highest landslide warning issued for southwestern Japan's Yakushima

Japan's weather agency on Saturday issued a Level 5 emergency warning for landslides, its highest-level alert, for Yakushima Town in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, as Typhoon Krovanh and an autumn rain front combined to bring record-breaking rainfall to the region.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it was highly likely that serious landslides had already occurred in the area and urged residents to remain on maximum vigilance and take immediate action to protect their lives.

Weather officials said conditions are extremely unstable across the Tanegashima, Yakushima and Amami regions of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Unstable conditions are also expected across a broad swath of western and eastern Japan on Saturday, with heavy rain likely in southern Kyushu, the Amami region, the Kanto region and the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, according to the agency.