3-6-2023 (TOKYO) One Dead, Two Missing as Heavy Rain Hits Japan Heavy rain across several parts of Japan has caused flooding that led to the death of one person and left two others missing, according to authorities. Typhoon Mawar, now downgraded to a tropical storm, has been responsible for the heavy downpour.
In the central Aichi region’s Toyohashi, where the highest-level evacuation alert was issued, a man in his 60s was found in a submerged car and confirmed dead. In western Wakayama, officials resumed the search for one man and one woman missing in the region, where several rivers burst their banks.
Many evacuation orders in central and western Japan were downgraded Saturday as rains eased. However, new warnings were issued in areas close to Tokyo early morning over flooding risks. About 4,000 households in regions near Tokyo were without power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company.
The Shinkansen bullet trains were still suspended between Tokyo and Nagoya, but public broadcaster NHK said they would resume around noon.
The risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere is increasing due to climate change, say scientists, as a warmer atmosphere holds more water. In 2021, strong rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people. In 2018, floods and landslides killed over 200 people in western Japan during the country’s annual rainy season.
Earlier this week, Typhoon Mawar passed just north of the Pacific island of Guam, leaving tens of thousands of homes temporarily without power and uprooting trees.
