Heavy rain across parts of Japan has claimed one life, left two people missing, and injured dozens more, authorities reported. The inclement weather was caused by the remnants of former typhoon Mawar, which had weakened into a tropical storm. A rescue team in central Aichi region’s Toyohashi, where the highest-level evacuation alert was issued on Friday, discovered a man in his 60s trapped in a submerged car, but tragically, he was later confirmed to have perished. In western Wakayama, officials restarted their search for a man and a woman reported missing in the region.
As of Saturday morning, six people were seriously injured, and 24 suffered minor injuries, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. In central and western Japan, many evacuation orders, which are not compulsory even at the highest level, were being downgraded as the rain subsided. However, new warnings were issued in areas near Tokyo early Saturday morning due to concerns about flooding.
With several cities, including Toyohashi and Koshigaya near Tokyo, reportedly experiencing the highest 24-hour rainfall on record, the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to remain vigilant for landslides, overflowing rivers, and flooding in low-lying areas. Around 4,000 households in areas close to Tokyo suffered power outages early Saturday, mainly due to flooding, but the issue was largely resolved several hours later.
Japan RainstormShinkansen bullet trains were temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Nagoya, but operations resumed around noon. Climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan, according to scientists, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more water. Strong rain in 2021 triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami, killing 27 people. And in 2018, floods and landslides killed over 200 people in western Japan during the country’s annual rainy season.
In the past week, Mawar, then a typhoon, passed just north of the Pacific island of Guam, uprooting trees and leaving tens of thousands of homes temporarily without power. The remnants of Mawar brought heavy rain to various parts of Japan, causing widespread disruption and tragedy.