Japan Issues First-Ever Top-Level Heavy Rain Warning for Chiba as Flooding Disrupts Greater Tokyo Corridor
Torrential rain in eastern Japan on Aug 13, 2026 triggered landslides, flooding, transport disruption, and power outages, prompting the JMA to issue its highest-level heavy rain warning for Chiba for the first time. More than 100,000 households were urged to evacuate across Chiba, Ibaraki, and Saitama, highlighting growing operational risk from high-intensity rainfall events.