Four dead, thousands stranded as record rain lashes Japan

Heavy rain dumped over 36 centimeters of rainfall in 24 hours across parts of eastern Japan, triggering severe flooding and power outages. At least four people have died in the disaster-struck region, as confirmed fatalities include a man in his 60s or 70s found on a flooded road, a 66-year-old woman in her submerged car, a collapsed man whose age and gender remain unknown, and an unidentified sixth individual.

The downpour, during one of Japan's busiest holiday weeks, prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue its highest-level heavy rain warning, marking an unprecedented level of rainfall by historical standards. Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as an "extremely unusual" disaster, emphasizing that he had never encountered such circumstances in his career managing disasters.

Soldiers have been deployed to assist with relief efforts, while over 6,000 travelers were stranded overnight at Tokyo Narita airport, with train services to and from the airport canceled into Friday afternoon. Hundreds more were left stranded at Chiba station after train services were suspended, while some spent the night in shelters.

Major highways, including routes connecting Narita to central Tokyo, remained closed, forcing drivers to use alternate routes. While airport spokespersons reported that all flights were scheduled to operate normally, with only possible delays, Japan Airlines anticipated some cancellations. Scientists caution that human-driven climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, underscoring the urgent need to address the underlying causes of such disasters.