Record rain in Japan kills four, leaves thousands stranded at Narita airport
Japanese authorities said four deaths have been confirmed so far, including at least one person trapped in a submerged vehicle.
Severe rainfall in Japan caused four deaths and stranded hundreds at Tokyo's Narita airport, where flights resumed operating normally on Friday. The torrential downpours triggered landslide warnings, power outages and inundated roads and railways in the Chiba region, which borders Tokyo. At least eight people were killed, including a man in his 60s or 70s found drowned in a flooded road and a 66-year-old woman trapped in her submerged car.
More than 360mm of rain fell in 24 hours in some areas, inundating roads and railways. Close to 26,000 households across Chiba prefecture faced power outages, with 45 houses flooding below the floorboards. Hundreds sought shelter, and hundreds of drivers faced heavy traffic due to closed highways. Major highways linking Narita airport to central Tokyo remained closed, causing delays.
The level-5 warning of heavy rain was downgraded to level-4 by Friday morning. Scientists attribute the extreme weather to climate change, making such events more frequent and intense.
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