Japan floods latest: More than 100 dead after mudslides and record heavy rains destroy homes

Worst flood disaster since 1983, when 117 people were killed

More than 100 people have been killed and dozens are missing after record torrential rains unleashed floods and landslides in western Japan.

Rescuers are searching for nearly 80 people who are still accounted for, most of them in the hardest-hit Hiroshima area.

Nearly 13,000 people have been left without electricity, power companies said on Monday, while hundreds of thousands had no water.

It is the worst flood disaster since 1983, when 117 people were killed in heavy rains.

The death toll reached at least 110 after floodwaters forced several million from their homes, NHK public television said on Monday, with another 79 people missing.

Many areas have been left flooded after days of record rainfall (AFP/Getty) (JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images)

Though the continuous rain had ended, officials warned of sudden showers and thunderstorms, as well as the risk of further landslides on steep mountainsides saturated over the weekend.

Some homes had been smashed, while others were left tilting precariously.

Rivers had overflowed, flooding towns and turning them into lakes, leaving dozens of people stranded on rooftops. Military paddle boats and helicopters have been used to bring people to dry land.

Some homes have been smashed while others were left tilting precariously (AFP/Getty) (MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

The Japan Meteorological Agency said three hours of rainfall in one area in Kochi prefecture reached an accumulated 26.3 centimetres (10.4 inches), the highest since such records started in 1976.

The government set up an emergency taskforce over the weekend and has sent troops, firefighters, police and other disaster relief. People have also pleaded for help on social media.

A car stands on its front after heavy flooding (Getty) (Carl Court/Getty Images)

Although evacuation orders were scaled back from the weekend, nearly two million people still face orders or advice to keep away from homes, fire and disaster officials said.

Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has cancelled an overseas trip which would have taken him to Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt from Wednesday, a party source told Reuters.