Record Rainfall in Japan Leaves 4 Dead, Thousands Stranded at Tokyo Airport

Record rainfall has devastated Japan’s Chiba prefecture near Tokyo with leaving at least four people dead, five injured and one missing. The unprecedented deluge triggered widespread flooding and landslides, prompting evacuation advisories for over 100,000 households and cutting power to more than 23,000 homes.

The severe weather severely disrupted major transport networks, stranding approximately 7,000 travellers overnight at Tokyo's Narita Airport. While airport operations and flights have largely normalized, several connecting rail services and major highways remain suspended. Stranded passengers spent the night camped in the terminal, relying on emergency supplies of water and blankets.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency initially issued a maximum Level 5 warning for Chiba, describing the torrential rain as "unprecedented." The intense rainfall was caused by highly unstable atmospheric conditions, compounding the effects of three concurrent storms Dolphin, Chan-Hom and Peilou churning across the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Rescue and relief operations are actively underway, with military personnel deployed to assist. In Chiba city, hundreds of displaced residents have taken shelter in government buildings, while emergency crews continue to search for the missing and assess the widespread infrastructural damage.