Japan: 'Unprecedented' heavy rain kills 4, thousands stranded at airport
What's the story
At least four people have died in eastern Japan due to "unprecedented" heavy rainfall, authorities said. The torrential downpour has caused widespread disruption, stranding thousands at Narita Airport and disrupting road and rail services. Among the victims are a man in his 60s or 70s found floating on a flooded road and a 66-year-old woman trapped in her submerged car.
Weather impact
Landslide warnings, power outages across Chiba Prefecture
The heavy rainfall has also triggered landslide warnings and widespread power outages across Chiba Prefecture.
Nearly 26,000 households were without electricity as of Friday morning, according to the Chiba Prefecture Disaster Management Office.
Floodwaters entered 45 homes in cities such as Ichikawa and Kashiwa while another 39 houses reported water seeping in below floorboards.
Travel chaos
Narita Airport severely affected by heavy rains
Narita Airport was also severely affected by the heavy rains, with around 7,000 people stranded overnight. Many trains to and from the airport were canceled until Friday afternoon.
Social media users reported that airport staff distributed free water, food, and sleeping bags to stranded travelers.
Hundreds were also left stranded at Chiba station due to suspended train services, according to AFP.
Twitter Post
Visuals of flooding from Chiba City
Major flooding due to heavy rain in Chiba City, Japan 🇯🇵 (13.08.2026)pic.twitter.com/UcOnuRJ5y8
— Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) August 13, 2026
Climate change
First-time warning issued for Chiba region
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time.
A JMA official had said at a news conference on Thursday that the situation was "shaping up to be an unprecedented level of heavy rain."
Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent, prolonged, and intense.