4 dead as ‘unprecedented’ rain floods Japan, strands thousands at Narita Airport

At least four people have lost their lives in eastern Japan due to unprecedented heavy rain, which has caused significant disruption across the region. The victims include a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s found floating on a flooded road, a 66-year-old woman trapped in her submerged car, a man whose age was not specified who was found collapsed on a street, and a fifth person who is feared dead or reported missing.

The torrential rain, which began late Thursday, triggered landslide warnings and widespread power outages in Chiba prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for the area for the first time. As of Friday morning, nearly 26,000 households were without electricity, and floodwaters entered 45 homes in cities such as Ichikawa, Kashiwa, and Sakura.

The heavy rainfall severely impacted transportation, leaving thousands stranded at Narita Airport, a major international transport hub near Tokyo. Approximately 7,000 people were stranded overnight at the airport. Major highways, including those connecting Narita Airport to central Tokyo, remained closed, causing severe traffic congestion and forcing motorists to take alternate routes.

In addition to the road and rail disruptions, several rail services were suspended on Friday morning, further contributing to the travel difficulties. While level-5 warnings of heavy rain were later downgraded to level-4, scientists attribute the increasing frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather events to human-driven climate change.