Tokyo: At least nine people have died after torrential rain battered eastern Japan, triggering severe flooding, landslide warnings, power outages and major disruption to roads and rail services.
The Chiba region has been among the worst affected, with authorities reporting extensive damage to homes and vehicles following several days of intense rainfall.
Chiba records exceptional rainfall
Heavy rain began late on Thursday, with a weather station in Chiba recording around 300 mm of rainfall in 24 hours.
The rainfall has made this August the wettest in the region in six decades. Officials said Chiba city received more than three times the rainfall normally recorded throughout the entire month of August by Friday morning.
Japan issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
Homes and vehicles submerged
More than 1,000 households in Chiba have reported flooding, with nearly 600 experiencing water levels rising above floor level. More than 70 homes were partially destroyed, according to the latest prefectural figures.
Around 1,200 vehicles were also reportedly abandoned on flooded roads. Emergency teams have been working to remove the vehicles and assist residents affected by the flooding.
Authorities said some of those who died were found inside submerged vehicles, while others were discovered on flooded streets.
The intense rainfall has also caused widespread power outages and disrupted transport, adding to the difficulties faced by residents and emergency services.
Climate concerns grow
Japan’s Meteorological Agency described the rainfall as an unprecedented level of extreme weather. Scientists have increasingly warned that human-driven climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense rainfall events.
The latest disaster has prompted renewed concerns about Japan’s preparedness for increasingly severe weather, while authorities continue rescue, recovery and damage-assessment operations across affected areas.