Heavy rain kills four in Japan's Chiba as floods disrupt thousands
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a Level 5 warning, its highest level, for heavy rain in more than one-third of Chiba's municipalities on Thursday. The warnings were downgraded Friday morning, but heavy rain could continue in Chiba and surrounding areas.
Flooding was reported across the prefecture, while cities including Chiba and Ichikawa urged residents to take immediate safety measures. The agency also issued Level 5 landslide warnings for several municipalities, including Chiba and neighboring Ichihara.
The heavy rain was caused by warm, humid air flowing into eastern Japan and colliding with cold air above, creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions.
At one point, evacuation orders covered more than 400,000 people in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures. As of 7 a.m. Friday, the orders remained in effect for about 126,000 people. More than 200 evacuation centers were opened across Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama and Gunma prefectures.
Among those who died was a man found in floodwaters on a submerged road in Ichikawa. A 66-year-old woman died after becoming trapped inside a car in Sakura. Police also confirmed the death of a man found unresponsive on a flooded road in Yachiyo, while another man who collapsed in Sakura later died.
A woman trapped in a car in Kashiwa was taken to hospital and remained unresponsive.
In Chiba city, water gushed from manholes and residents waded through knee-high floodwaters. Around 1,800 people took shelter in the prefectural government building after becoming stranded while commuting.
In Chiba's Chuo Ward, hourly rainfall reached 115 millimeters Thursday night, roughly equivalent to the area's average rainfall for the entire month of August.
Power outages affected around 45,000 homes in Chiba Prefecture at one point, according to a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that as temperatures in Tokyo climb toward 38°C, Japan’s summer offers a different side of the country – nighttime festivals, ghost stories and centuries-old traditions.
