(Adnkronos) – At least eight people have died due to the torrential rains described as ‘unprecedented’ by local authorities that have hit eastern Japan. The rains caused power outages in over 20,000 homes in Chiba prefecture. Yesterday, a level five alert, the highest level, had been issued; today it has been downgraded to level four, although the risk of landslides and floods continues to be reported. The deluge came after a series of storms that hit Japan and neighboring countries this week. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the recent torrential rains were caused by warm, humid air coming from the east of the country, which, combining with the cold air above, made atmospheric conditions extremely unstable.
“This case represents an extremely unusual situation, even by Japan’s historical meteorological standards,” Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters this morning. “I have managed many emergencies in the past, but I have never seen a case like this.” Chiba, located right next to Tokyo, recorded over 100 mm of rain per hour since Thursday afternoon, according to authorities. This is about three times the average August rainfall and the highest volume of rain ever recorded in the country. Yesterday, over 100,000 families had been asked to evacuate their homes after the rain caused landslides and power outages.
Thousands of people were stranded overnight in Narita due to the storm that disrupted transport to and from the airport. All flights are expected to operate regularly today, a Narita airport spokesperson said.
