Torrential rains in Japan’s Chiba region leaves nine dead to date, and more than 1,000 homes underwater

Heavy rainfall in eastern Japan has resulted in nine deaths and widespread damage, according to public broadcaster NHK. An "unprecedented" downpour has flooded more than a thousand homes and disrupted road and rail services across Chiba region. Torrential rain began late Thursday, triggering landslide warnings and power outages.

Forecasters issued the highest-level heavy rain warning for the area for the first time. A weather station in the prefecture recorded 30 centimeters of rain in 24 hours, marking the wettest August in six decades. By Friday morning, the city of Chiba had recorded more than three times the rainfall typically seen in the entire month of August, according to Tokyo's land ministry.

Nine fatalities have been reported, with eight listed by Chiba’s disaster management office as of Saturday evening, some trapped in submerged vehicles and others found on flooded streets. Over 70 houses have been partially destroyed, while over a thousand households experienced flooding, with approximately 600 seeing water levels rise above the floorboards.

Around 1,200 cars remain abandoned on the roads, with authorities working on towing them or using jacks to move them. The Japanese Meteorological Agency described the rain as "shaping up to be an unprecedented level of heavy rain". Scientists attribute the increased frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather events to human-driven climate change.