TOKYO, Japan — At least four people have died, and five others were injured after record rainfall described by authorities as “unprecedented” battered Japan’s Chiba prefecture, triggering flooding, landslides, power outages and widespread disruption near Tokyo.
The torrential rains, which began on Thursday, cut electricity to more than 20,000 households and left thousands of travellers stranded overnight at Narita International Airport.
Local authorities issued the highest level five emergency warning on Thursday as the downpour intensified. The alert was downgraded to level four by Friday morning, but officials continued to warn residents of dangerous flooding and landslides.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai said the scale of the rainfall was unlike anything he had experienced during his years responding to disasters.
“This case was an extremely unusual situation, even by Japan’s historical weather standards,” Kumagai told reporters on Friday.
“I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.”
Record Rainfall Triggers Flooding
Authorities said parts of Chiba recorded more than 100 millimetres of rain per hour from Thursday afternoon, around three times the average rainfall for the month of August.
The Japan Meteorological Agency described the conditions as an “unprecedented level of heavy rain”, with warm, humid air flowing into eastern Japan and colliding with colder air above, creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions.
The rainfall was expected to continue through late Friday, raising concerns that saturated ground and swollen rivers could trigger additional flooding and landslides.
Among those killed was a woman who became trapped inside a vehicle submerged on a flooded road. Two other people collapsed on streets and later died, according to authorities.
More than 100,000 households were advised to evacuate on Thursday after flooding and landslides disrupted communities and caused widespread power outages.
Emergency teams continued rescue operations, with the governor saying saving lives remained the authorities’ top priority.
Transport Disrupted
The severe weather also disrupted transport across the region.
Several railway services remained suspended on Friday morning, while major highways were closed because of flooding and other safety concerns.
At Narita Airport, about 7,000 travellers were stranded overnight as the heavy rain disrupted access to and from the facility.
Around 1,800 people spent the night at the Chiba Prefectural Government building after transport services were disrupted, while passengers were also left stranded at metro stations.
Narita Airport said flights were scheduled to operate normally on Friday, although Japan Airlines warned that some services could face delays.
The disruption came as Japan and other parts of East Asia experienced a series of powerful storms this week.
Region Hit by Multiple Storms
Japan, the Philippines and China have faced successive storms in recent days, contributing to widespread flooding, evacuations and infrastructure damage across parts of the region.
Storms including Dolphin, Chan-Hom and Peilou have moved through the region in quick succession.
Dolphin brought heavy rainfall to Japan’s Okinawa island, cutting power to tens of thousands of buildings, toppling trees and disrupting flights.
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.
The Philippines has also experienced severe weather, with authorities closing schools and government offices in much of the north because of continuing flood risks.
In Chiba, residents described the latest rainfall as sudden and overwhelming.
A woman from Ichikawa told NHK that the rain arrived unexpectedly and left her worried about the impact on her business.
“The power is out so I’m worried whether I can open my business in the next couple of days,” she said.
Authorities in Japan have urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, particularly in communities vulnerable to flooding and landslides, as the extreme rainfall continues.
