Deadly Floods Follow Record Japan Rain

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This article was provided by AccuWeather.com.

At least fifteen people have been killed by flooding and landslides as unprecedented rainfall continues to pound southwestern Japan.

About 48,000 people were ordered to flee the city of Kumamoto. Blackouts hit thousands of homes and transportation infrastructure suffered disruption.

Meteorologists of the Japan Meteorological Agency were quoted as saying that rainfall in parts of Kyushu reached levels that have "never been experienced".

The BBC News website called the rainfall, reportedly as high as 507 mm (20.0 inches) within 24 hours, "unprecedented".

On Friday, data accessed by Accuweather.com indicated additional rainfall as high as 11 cm (4.39 inches) fell across the region while most locations averaged an additional 1-3 cm (0.50-1 inch) of rain.

Unfortunately, unsettled conditions are expected to continue across the region through the weekend with additional scattered showers and even a few thunderstorms.

Meteorologist Steve Travis contributed to this story.

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