Japanese authorities today urged tens of thousands of residents in Ishikawa Prefecture (central) to evacuate their homes urgently due to flooding following heavy rainfall.

About 30,000 residents of the towns of Uajima and Suzhou were ordered to evacuate the area immediately, local officials explained.

Three rivers flowing through it overflowed and flooding is affecting nearby communities, an official told Agence France-Presse, adding that a damage assessment is under way.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has put Ishikawa prefecture on maximum alert, warning against “deadly” dangers.

Footage broadcast by Japanese public broadcaster NHK shows a road submerged under water in Wajima.

Wajima and Suzhou are among the cities hit hardest by the January 17.5-magnitude earthquake in central Japan, which left 236 people dead and widespread destruction.

The region is still trying to recover from the quake, which flattened buildings, crushed roads and caused a major fire.

Rainfall levels in Japan have been breaking records in recent years, causing floods and landslides, in some cases claiming lives.

Experts say climate change is increasing the frequency, severity and unpredictable nature of these events.

Source: AP-MPA