At Least Six Dead After Record Rainfall
At least six people have died and five others have been injured after record rainfall caused widespread flooding and landslides in Japan’s eastern Chiba prefecture, close to Tokyo Japan record rainfall.
Authorities described the Japan record rainfall as “unprecedented”, with more than 20,000 households losing electricity and thousands of travellers becoming stranded overnight at Narita International Airport.
The extreme weather prompted local authorities to issue their highest level five emergency warning on Thursday. The alert was lowered to level four by Friday morning, but officials continued to warn residents about the dangers posed by flooding and landslides.
Chiba Hit by Exceptional Downpours Japan record rainfall
Chiba recorded more than 100mm of rain per hour from Thursday afternoon, according to authorities. The volume was around three times the area’s average August rainfall and represented the highest level of precipitation ever recorded in the country.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the extreme weather was caused by warm, humid air moving into eastern Japan and interacting with colder air above, creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions.
The agency warned that heavy rain could continue until late Friday.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the Japan record rainfall as an exceptionally unusual event, even by the country’s history of severe weather.
“This case was an extremely unusual situation, even by Japan’s historical weather standards,” Kumagai told reporters.
“I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.”
Flooding Leaves Residents and Travellers Stranded Japan record rainfall
The heavy rain caused major disruption across the region, with several railway services suspended and some major highways closed.
More than 100,000 households were advised to evacuate on Thursday after the Japan record rainfall triggered flooding, landslides and widespread power outages.
Among those killed was a woman who was found dead inside a car submerged on a flooded road, according to authorities. Two other people reportedly collapsed in the streets and later died.
The governor said emergency teams would prioritise saving lives and continue rescue operations as authorities assessed the damage.
Thousands Stranded at Narita Airport
The extreme weather also disrupted air and ground transport around Tokyo. Around 7,000 travellers were reportedly stranded overnight at Narita airport as the heavy rain affected transportation to and from the facility.
Narita airport said flights were expected to operate normally on Friday, although Japan Airlines warned that some services could experience delays. The airline did not expect cancellations.
Passengers were also left stranded at metro stations, while approximately 1,800 people spent the night inside the Chiba Prefectural Government building.
A resident of Ichikawa city in Chiba told Japanese broadcaster NHK that the rain arrived unexpectedly.
“The power is out so I’m worried whether I can open my business in the next couple of days,” she said.
Emergency Warnings Remain in Place
Although the highest emergency warning was downgraded on Friday morning, authorities continued urging residents to remain vigilant because of the risk of further flooding and landslides.
The Japan Meteorological Agency had earlier described the situation as an “unprecedented level of heavy rain”, highlighting the exceptional intensity of the downpour.
Officials are continuing to monitor rivers, roads and vulnerable areas as rescue operations and recovery efforts continue.
Japan Faces Active Typhoon Season Japan record rainfall
The Japan record rainfall comes during a period of severe weather across East and Southeast Asia, with several storms affecting Japan, the Philippines and China during the same week.
Storms including Dolphin, Chan-Hom and Peilou have moved across the region, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding.
Dolphin caused significant disruption in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, leaving tens of thousands of buildings without power, bringing down trees and forcing flight cancellations.
In China, authorities evacuated more than one million people over the weekend as Dolphin, described as the strongest typhoon to hit the country so far this year, made landfall in the east.
Philippines Also Hit by Severe Weather Japan record rainfall
The Philippines has also experienced significant disruption from the continuing storm activity. Authorities again closed schools and government offices across much of the northern part of the country because of the threat of flooding.
The series of storms has raised concerns about an unusually active typhoon season across the region, with authorities in several countries responding to heavy rainfall, flooding and dangerous travel conditions.
In Japan, emergency services remain focused on rescue operations and protecting communities as officials assess the full impact of the record rainfall in Chiba.
