‘Unprecedented’ rains in Japan kill four people
At least four people have died and five others injured in eastern Japan after record-breaking rainfall caused severe flooding in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo.
Authorities described the rainfall as unprecedented, with more than 20,000 homes losing power and about 7,000 passengers stranded overnight at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
A level-five emergency alert, Japan’s highest warning, was issued on Thursday before being lowered to level four on Friday morning. Despite the downgrade, officials continued to warn of dangerous flooding and landslides.
The extreme weather followed several storms that swept across Japan and neighbouring countries during the week, raising concerns about an unusually active typhoon season.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the heavy rain was caused by warm, humid air moving into eastern Japan and colliding with colder air above, creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions. The rainfall was expected to continue through Friday.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as highly unusual, saying he had never encountered a disaster of such magnitude despite his previous experience responding to emergencies.
Parts of Chiba recorded more than 100mm of rain per hour from Thursday afternoon, roughly three times the average rainfall for August and the highest level ever recorded in the country.
Among those who died was a woman found inside a vehicle submerged on a flooded road. Two other people reportedly collapsed in the streets and later died.
Authorities said they would prioritise rescue operations and efforts to protect lives as the heavy rain continued.
Several train services remained suspended on Friday, while major highways were also closed. More than 100,000 households had been advised to evacuate on Thursday after flooding, landslides and power outages disrupted communities.
Transportation around Narita Airport was also severely affected, leaving thousands of passengers stranded overnight. Although flights were expected to operate normally on Friday, Japan Airlines warned that some services could face delays.
Passengers were also stranded at railway stations, while about 1,800 people spent the night at the Chiba Prefectural Government building.
Meanwhile, authorities in northern parts of the Philippines again closed schools and government offices because of continuing flood threats.
The latest rainfall comes after Japan, the Philippines and China were hit by a series of storms, including Dolphin, Chan-Hom and Peilou. Dolphin caused heavy rainfall in Japan’s Okinawa region, resulting in widespread power outages, fallen trees and flight cancellations.
In China, more than one million people were evacuated over the weekend as Dolphin, described as the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, made landfall in the east.
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