The Japanese authorities called today tens of thousands of residents in Ishikawa prefecture (central) to urgently leave their homes, due to flooding after heavy rains.

About 30,000 residents of the cities of Uajima and Suzu were ordered to leave the area immediately, local officials said.

Three rivers flowing through it have overflowed and floods are affecting nearby communities, an official told AFP, adding that an assessment of the damage is underway.

The Japan Meteorological Agency put Ishikawa prefecture on maximum alert, warning of “deadly” risks.

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

Uajima and Suzu are among the cities hardest hit by the Jan. 1 7.5-magnitude earthquake in central Japan, which left 236 dead and widespread damage.

The region is still recovering from the earthquake, which flattened buildings, destroyed roads and caused a large fire.

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

Experts point out that climate change is intensifying the frequency, severity and unpredictable nature of these phenomena.