A road is damaged by the swollen Suzuhari river due to heavy rain in Hiroshima, western Japan, Aug 13, 2021. (PHOTO / KYODO NEWS VIA AP)

TOKYO - Japan on Friday issued the most serious level 5 risk alerts in the western prefecture of Hiroshima, citing unprecedented rains in the region and imminent risk of floods and other disasters.

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the warning, warning of possible flooding, swollen rivers and mudslides.

One person was killed and at least two others were missing after heavy rain struck western and southwestern Japan on Friday, local media reported

JMA added in a statement that the rain front could stay over the country for about a week.

ALSO READ: Japan to evacuate hundreds of thousands amid heavy rain

Heavy rain struck western and southwestern Japan on Friday, leaving one person dead and at least two others missing, local media reported.

According to local authorities, a woman died and two others were missing after a mudslide destroyed two homes in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, in the southwestern Kyushu region. A man in his 60s was rescued from the site.

According to JMA, the amount of rainfall in Unzen and Shimabara reached record high. In Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, record downpour was also logged in the same period.

This handout picture taken and released by Nagasaki Kenou Fire Department on Aug 13, 2021 shows a collapsed house at the site of a mudslide caused by heavy rain in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture. (HANDOUT / NAGASAKI KENOU FIRE DEPARTMENT / AFP)

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held an emergency meeting with members of his cabinet, calling on people affected to evacuate immediately if necessary. 

Suga's office set up a disaster control center to handle potential disasters.

"Torrential rains could continue in regions around western Japan," Suga said.

READ MORE: Japan issues warning for 'unprecedented' heavy rain

On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of residents of Nagasaki and other parts of Kyushu island in southwest Japan were asked to evacuate to avoid floods and the risk of landslides caused by torrential rain.