Heavy Rain from Typhoon Hits Fushiki, Japan; Trains Stopped
Listen to the story
Typhoon No. 15 brought heavy rain to western Toyama Prefecture in Japan. In the town of Fushiki, 52 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour, a very intense amount for such a short period.
The heavy rainfall caused serious disruption to rail services in the region. JR and the Ainokaze Toyama Railway cancelled a total of 28 trains because of the dangerous weather conditions.
In the cities of Takaoka and Tonami, authorities issued a Level 4 warning at one point. This is a serious alert that tells residents they should evacuate to safer places.
The warning was related to the risk of landslides, which happen when heavy rain makes soil on slopes unstable and causes it to slide down suddenly, sometimes damaging homes or roads.
According to reports, the intense rain was localized, meaning it fell heavily in some specific areas rather than across the whole prefecture. Western Toyama was the area most affected.
This kind of sudden, heavy rainfall is often linked to typhoons passing near or over Japan. Typhoons can bring strong winds along with large amounts of rain in a short time, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides.
Local authorities continued to monitor the situation closely, warning residents in the affected areas to stay alert for further updates on the weather and any additional danger warnings.
Vocabulary11 words
- Typhoon
- a very strong storm with heavy rain and wind
- rail services
- train services that carry passengers
- cancelled
- stopped from happening
- Level 4
- a high warning level meaning big danger
- landslides
- when wet ground and rocks slide down suddenly
- localized
- happening only in certain small areas
- evacuate
- to leave a dangerous place for safety
- prefecture
- a large administrative area in Japan
- authorities
- officials who manage public safety
- intense
- very strong or extreme
- monitor
- to watch closely over time
Quiz
Answer key
1. 52 mm 2. JR and Ainokaze Toyama Railway 3. Landslide risk
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
_____ No. 15 brought heavy rain to western Toyama Prefecture in Japan. In the town of Fushiki, 52 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour, a very intense amount for such a short period.
The heavy rainfall caused serious disruption to _____ in the region. JR and the Ainokaze Toyama Railway _____ a total of 28 trains because of the dangerous weather conditions.
In the cities of Takaoka and Tonami, authorities issued a _____ warning at one point. This is a serious alert that tells residents they should evacuate to safer places.
The warning was related to the risk of _____, which happen when heavy rain makes soil on slopes unstable and causes it to slide down suddenly, sometimes damaging homes or roads.
According to reports, the intense rain was _____, meaning it fell heavily in some specific areas rather than across the whole prefecture. Western Toyama was the area most affected.