Torrential rain has battered Tokyo and surrounding regions of Japan, triggering the country’s highest-level landslide warnings, disrupting rail services, closing schools and causing flooding across parts of eastern Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued Level 5 emergency landslide warnings for Niijima and Oshima islands in Tokyo’s Izu island chain as powerful rain bands intensified over the region. Authorities urged residents in vulnerable areas to move to safer locations, particularly away from cliffs, ravines and other areas at risk of landslides.

The rainfall has been exceptionally intense. Niijima recorded 485 millimeters of rain in the 24 hours to 9:40 a.m. Monday, the highest total ever recorded at the location. By Monday afternoon, rainfall over 48 hours had reached more than 530 millimeters on Niijima and more than 710 millimeters on Oshima.

Heavy rain also swept across Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, with authorities warning of landslides, rising rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.

The rain caused widespread disruption to daily life. Schools across several prefectures suspended classes, while train operators reduced services on major commuter lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

JR East’s Yamanote, Chuo and Sobu lines were among those operating with significantly fewer trains, while other railway services experienced delays and cancellations.

Road transportation has also been affected. East Nippon Expressway Co. warned that widespread highway closures could occur because of the continuing rainfall. Some sections were subsequently reopened, while others remained closed because of flooding and dangerous road conditions.

The severe weather has also caused deadly flooding farther north.

In the city of Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture, two vehicles became submerged in a flooded underpass on Monday morning. A woman in her 60s was rescued from one of the vehicles and taken to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The occupant of the second vehicle managed to escape without injury.

The incident prompted authorities in Iwaki to issue a Level 4 evacuation order across the city amid concerns over flooding and swollen rivers. The order was lifted later Monday after authorities determined that the immediate risk had decreased, although residents were still urged to remain alert.

By Monday morning, the most active rain bands were beginning to move north from Kanto toward the Tohoku region.

Weather officials warned that parts of Fukushima and other areas along the Pacific coast could experience very heavy rainfall through Monday, with the risk of flooding and landslides remaining high.

The worsening weather is being driven by a powerful autumn rain front that has been strengthened by warm, moisture-laden air associated with Typhoon Krovanh. The system has helped fuel the development of intense rain clouds over eastern Japan.

Although the heaviest rain around central Tokyo had begun to ease by Monday morning, officials warned that the danger had not passed. Saturated soil means that landslides can occur even after rainfall weakens.

Weather authorities said a further concentration of rain clouds could develop across Kanto and the Izu Islands, potentially producing another burst of extremely heavy rainfall. Residents in affected areas were urged to remain vigilant at least through Monday night.

The combination of record rainfall, saturated ground and swollen rivers has left communities across eastern Japan on high alert, with emergency services continuing to monitor vulnerable areas and authorities urging residents to prioritize safety over travel as the rain system moves northward. (ILKHA)