Japan Issues Highest Rain Warning as Torrential Downpours Trigger Landslides and Floods

Eastern Japan is grappling with unprecedented torrential rain, which has triggered landslides, power outages, and widespread flooding. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time ever on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Officials warned that lives may be in imminent danger and urged immediate evacuation. More than 100,000 households, primarily in Chiba but also in Ibaraki and Saitama regions, received evacuation advisories. Footage showed cars submerged in residential areas and hundreds of people stranded due to suspended train services. In the hour leading up to 9 p.m., approximately 100mm of rain fell in the vicinity of Sakura city, Chiba. The extreme weather has caused power outages for over 10,000 households in Chiba, and authorities have been alerted to multiple instances of landslides and flooded homes. Scientists note that human-driven climate change is intensifying such extreme weather events.

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This is shaping up to be an unprecedented level of heavy rain.