At least one person was killed, another 180,000 people were advised to evacuate in southwestern Japan due to torrential rains that caused rivers to burst their banks and landslides, NHK television reported.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has introduced the maximum level of danger, the fifth level, in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. Residents of several other prefectures were asked to immediately leave to safe places. And if this not possible, they were asked to go up to the second floors of houses or other high places.

The situation is grave also in Saga prefecture, where several rivers have burst their banks.

Due to heavy rains, high-speed Shinkansen bullet train service was stopped in the southwest of Kyushu Island, as well as between Fukuoka and Hiroshima cities.

According to meteorologists, the intensity of precipitation in some regions of Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures reached 55 to 92 millimeters per hour. Heavy rains will continue until Tuesday.