Eastern Japan rain kills nine: report

Heavy rain in eastern Japan has claimed nine lives, according to public broadcaster NHK, following an unprecedented deluge that submerged over a thousand homes and disrupted transportation. Torrential downpours began late Thursday, prompting landslide warnings and power outages, with forecasters issuing the highest-level heavy rain alert for the Chiba region for the first time.

A weather station in the prefecture recorded 30 centimetres of rain in just 24 hours, marking it the area's wettest August in six decades. By Friday morning, Chiba city had experienced more than triple the rainfall typically seen throughout the entire month of August, as reported by Tokyo's land ministry. Nine fatalities have been confirmed in the region, with NHK reporting this figure on Sunday morning, citing their own tally.

Eight deaths were listed by Chiba's disaster management office by Saturday evening, with some victims trapped inside submerged vehicles and others found on streets inundated with water. Over 70 houses in the Chiba region suffered partial destruction due to the rain, while more than a thousand households reported being flooded, with nearly 600 experiencing water levels surpassing the floorboards.

An estimated 1,200 cars remain stranded on roads, local media reported, with authorities working to tow them away or lift them using jacks. An official from Japan's Meteorological Agency stated during a news conference on Thursday that this level of heavy rain was unprecedented. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather events to human-driven climate change.

Tokyo has seen the highest number of heat-related hospitalizations since 2010, with one death reported. Over 120 flights were canceled as twin storms approached the region.