Record rain floods 20 rivers in Japan's Ishikawa, Toyama prefs, triggers landslides
Heavy rain flooded homes and submerged roads in Japan's Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures on Aug. 27, leaving vehicles stranded and triggering landslide
Severe flooding and landslides have struck Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures in Japan, while convective storms have impacted western Europe. Following an "unprecedented" downpour in Chiba during mid-August, Japan has experienced more extreme rainfall in recent days. Moisture from the Sea of Japan has driven relentless heavy rain to Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures on Thursday.
In Himi, Toyama, an astonishing 361.5mm of rain was recorded in just 24 hours, equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in major European cities like London and Paris.
The torrential downpours have led to several rivers breaching their banks, causing flash floods and mudslides. Trees have been uprooted, and buildings have sustained significant damage. Japan's Meteorological Agency raised its highest-level rain warning in both prefectures and issued landslide warnings, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from the affected region.
Models indicate that additional rainfall of up to 200mm may be on its way, arriving from the west and continuing to impact the region.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
