Tropical Storm Maria weakened into a tropical depression early Tuesday over the Sea of Japan, after bringing strong winds and record rainfall to the Tohoku region.
The Meteorological Agency warned that even after the storm weakens, it could still bring heavy rain to parts of the area as it moves slowly over the sea.
The storm made landfall near the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on Monday morning before crossing the prefecture and neighboring Akita Prefecture.
At one point, a Level 5 emergency warning, urging residents to take steps to protect their lives even if they cannot evacuate, was issued for residents in Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, which saw record rainfall.
Rainfall reached 481.5 millimeters in Kuji in the 48 hours until 4:50 p.m. and 319 millimeters in the town of Otsuchi in Iwate in the 48 hours until 8:20 p.m., record highs for the areas. Many rivers in Iwate rose, and some homes in the town of Iwaizumi and the city of Kamaishi in the prefecture saw light flooding.
Maria was just the third tropical storm to make landfall in Tohoku from the Pacific coast since statistics began in 1951.
Meanwhile, the weather agency on Tuesday said that Tropical Storm Ampil had formed south of Japan in the Pacific, with its forecast track possibly bringing it near eastern Japan by this weekend. The storm is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon as it approaches the main island of Honshu on Friday and Saturday.
While its exact track remains uncertain, a landfall anywhere from Shizuoka Prefecture to Chiba Prefecture is possible based on the current forecast.
Tropical Storm Son-tinh, well away from land in the Pacific, is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by Wednesday.
Information from Jiji added