TOKYO - [20:34] Severe thunderstorms and flooding have prompted authorities in Tokyo’s Minato Ward to issue a Level 4 evacuation order for parts of the district in landslide warning zones.
The order covers Takanawa, Shirokane, Shirokanedai and Mita. Residents in designated landslide warning areas should evacuate immediately to an official shelter or to the home of relatives or acquaintances in a safe location.
Record-short-duration rainfall alerts were issued repeatedly in Tokyo and Kanagawa, and several rivers in the capital overflowed. In Okusawa, Setagaya Ward, footage taken around 4:00 p.m. showed roads under water and nearby shops flooded. Around Setagaya, about 100 millimeters of rain is believed to have fallen in one hour by 2:30 p.m. A sushi restaurant owner said, "Water spread across the tatami, reaching as far as the television and air conditioner."
On the Tanizawa River in Setagaya, an overflow alert was issued around 2:30 p.m., and the ward issued evacuation orders at 5:00 p.m. to roughly 23,000 households in neighborhoods including Todoroki and Seijo. In Shinagawa Ward, an overflow alert for the Takaiai River was issued around 3:30 p.m., and the ward declared the top-tier ‘Ensure Emergency Safety’ advisory at 3:50 p.m. for Higashi-Oi 2-chome and Minami-Oi 1-chome. Ota Ward also issued ‘Ensure Emergency Safety’ in some areas, but it was lifted shortly before 5:30 p.m.
In Meguro Ward, sudden downpours triggered a string of flooding incidents that left parts of several buildings submerged. At a cram school in Jiyugaoka, water rushed in and the basement level was inundated in roughly 10 minutes. According to school staff, no children were on the premises at the time. A nearby head-spa salon also saw water pour into its basement, temporarily trapping two people, including the owner. The owner said, "We realized water was coming into the shop, it rose to around 10 centimeters and pooled up to the window." Firefighters are currently pumping out the water.
Transport was heavily affected. At Haneda Airport, takeoffs and landings were temporarily suspended as thunderclouds approached. All Nippon Airways canceled 31 flights, affecting about 7,500 passengers, while Japan Airlines canceled 19 flights, affecting 4,115 passengers. On the railways, JR’s Tokaido Line suspended services in both directions due to heavy rain but resumed operations at around 5:45 p.m. The Tokaido Shinkansen also briefly halted between Tokyo and Shin-Yokohama after rainfall exceeded operational thresholds, and some trains remain delayed.
Source: TBS
