our mobile phone may have sounded off an alarm just before 14:00 today. As the text accompanying the alarm was only in Japanese we are providing a translation of the text for those who cannot read kanji. First the original Japanese: 福岡県に特別警報（大雨）。災害がすでに発生している可能性が極めて高く警戒レベル5に相当。命の危険が迫っているため直ちに身の安全を確保しなければならない状況です。新たに特別警報の対象となった地域があります。テレビ、ラジオ及び自治体等の情報をご確認ください。8月14日13:50 福岡管区気象台発表
(Translation)
Special warning (heavy rain) for Fukuoka Prefecture. There is an extremely high possibility that disasters have already occurred, equivalent to alert level 5. There is an imminent threat to life, and you must take immediate precautions to ensure your safety. Some additional areas have been placed under a new special warning. Please check on TV, radio and with local authorities for up-to-date information. Source: August 14, 13:50, Fukuoka Regional Meteorological Observatory
Photo: Fukuoka Now, Aug. 14 12:30 in Maebaru, Itoshima.
Link to NHK News in Fukuoka (Japanese language)
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/fukuoka-news/