In Japan, one dead and two missing due to heavy rain

Officials in the archipelago, where thousands of residents were summoned on Friday, announced on Saturday, June 3, that one person had been killed, two missing, and about thirty injured, due to the torrential rains that fell on Japan. The Japanese authorities called for extreme caution “In the face of the dangers of landslides, floods and river floods” Because of Tropical Storm Mawar, previously classified as a hurricane.

In the center of the country is a team of rescuers I found a man in his 60s in a submerged car. who was later confirmed dead, said an official in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture. In the west, in Wakayama Prefecture, where several rivers burst their banks, a search is on to find a missing man and woman.

Japan’s Fire and Natural Disaster Management Agency said six people were seriously injured and 24 others sustained minor injuries Saturday morning.

Evacuation recommendations — along with the maximum alert level — were issued on Friday, but lowered on Saturday as the rains dwindled. However, new instructions were sent to residents living near Tokyo on Saturday morning due to flood risks.

The risks have increased due to global warming

As several cities, including Toyohashi and Koshigaya on the west coast, had 24-hour rainfall records, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency urged residents to keep safe. “on high alert” Consider the risks Landslides, river flows and floods in low-lying areas.

About 4,000 homes in nearby sections of the capital lost power, according to the Tokyo Power Grid, but it was largely restored after a few hours. Bullet train (Shinkansen) traffic has been temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Nagoya before resuming at midday, according to JR Trains.

In 2021, heavy rains triggered a landslide in the central resort of Atami, killing 27 people. Three years ago, 200 people had already died in floods and landslides in the west of the country.

Scientists said global warming increases the risk of heavy rains in Japan, as warmer air masses carry more vapor.

Storm Mawar was still being classified as a typhoon when it struck the US island of Guam in late May, uprooting trees, sweeping away homes and causing tens of thousands of residents to temporarily lose power.