5 missing as heavy rains hit northern Japan

Five people were missing as heavy rains lashed northern Japan on Friday, news reports said. Five people were unaccounted for after many houses were swept away by floods in Akita prefecture, public broadcaster NHK reported. Authorities issued an evacuation advisory to more than 1,000 households in the region while the Meteorological Agency warned of more rain, mudslides and swollen rivers. Rainfall of more than 100 millimetres per hour was recorded in the prefectures of Akita and Iwate. Nearly 300 millimetres of rain fell in Kazuno city in Akita, almost double the average August rainfall for the area, NHK said, according to DPA.