Landslide warnings issued in Japan after record rainfall, one woman dead

Heavy rainfall hit eastern Japan and elsewhere on Monday, with the weather agency urging maximum vigilance against landslides on Niijima and Oshima islands, south of Tokyo, and a woman dying in Iwaki in the northeast after her car became submerged.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special landslide warning for Niijima after more than 480mm (19 inches) of rain fell there over 24 hours, the largest amount since local records began.

Heavy rain also hit eastern Japan including Tokyo from the early hours of Monday, disrupting train services and forcing some school closures. The weather agency issued a Level 4 landslide alert on its five-point scale for parts of Chiba and Saitama prefectures, neighbouring the capital.

The agency also warned that rainbands capable of bringing localised torrential downpours over prolonged periods could develop in the northeastern Tohoku region as a seasonal rain front moved north.

A woman in her sixties was declared dead after being found unresponsive in a submerged car at an underpass in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, according to the local fire department.