World News
Flash floods hit Japan by Tomasz Schafernaker
Torrential rains and violent thunderstorms have lashed central parts of Japan through the early hours of Friday morning causing major flash flooding.
At least one person has died and around half a million people have been evacuated from their homes as a result of the fierce weather. Authorities evacuated more than 140,000 people in Okazaki and nearly 360,000 in nearby Nagoya as homes became inundated with muddy water. Some areas were left without power or telephone services for hours after the storms.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the city of Okazaki received a staggering 145mm (5.7 inches) of rain in just one hour during the height of the storms. The heavy rains also triggered a mudslide in Hachioji on the outskirts of Tokyo, derailing a local train, but there were no reported injuries.
The severe weather was caused by an area of low pressure which brought a band of rain across most of the country, with embedded severe thunderstorms through central parts.
Japan is often hit by torrential rain during the summer months which frequently cause flash flooding and sometimes landslides. Earlier this month five people were killed in Tokyo in a flash flood during a sudden and violent thunderstorm.
Warnings are still in force for flooding and mudslides across many parts of the country as further heavy rain is forecast over the next few days.
