BANGKOK: Torrential rain across central Japan on Tuesday (Sept 8) flooded roads, railway tracks and key infrastructure, prompting an emergency flood warning for a major river and calls for residents in some areas to move immediately to safety.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its highest Level 5 flood warning for the Shonai River, which flows through Gifu and Aichi prefectures, after Nagoya recorded 104mm of rain in one hour under the influence of a seasonal autumn rain front.
Nagoya’s municipal government urged residents in parts of Chikusa, Moriyama and Meito wards to take immediate action to protect themselves.
The Aichi prefectural government reported that four people had sustained minor injuries, while approximately 2,700 people had taken refuge at evacuation shelters.
Rainwater also leaked into several Asian Games venues in Nagoya ahead of the opening of the competition on Sept 19.
The city’s underground railway services were temporarily suspended, disrupting journeys for many passengers. Tracks on the JR Chuo Line were flooded, while water reached ankle depth in parts of the busy Sakae district.
Aichi Prefecture, which includes Nagoya, is also home to Toyota Motor Corporation’s headquarters.
“We may have to stay in a hotel tonight,” said a 50-year-old woman from Gifu Prefecture as she stood in a long queue for a taxi.
She had travelled to Nagoya with her daughter, a third-year junior high school student, to visit a high school.
The disruption extended beyond local rail services.
According to JR Central, Tokyo-bound services using the Tokaido Shinkansen were temporarily suspended between Okayama and Tokyo, while services departing Tokyo towards Nagoya were also halted.
JR West reported that heavy rain had also disrupted services on parts of the Sanyo Shinkansen.
Both the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen resumed services at approximately 5.15pm local time, according to the railway operators.
The JMA said rainbands had formed over parts of Aichi and Gifu prefectures, bringing sustained heavy rainfall to the same areas for several hours.
It urged residents to remain alert to landslides and flooding, with further heavy rain expected across a broad area extending from western to northeastern Japan.
The agency also warned that similar rainbands could develop in other prefectures through Wednesday (Sept 9), including Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, as well as Osaka and Hyogo in western Japan. - The Nation/ANN
