Extreme rainfall

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 480 millimeters 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 5-point scale for parts of Chiba and Saitama prefectures, neighboring the capital.
The agency also warned that rainbands capable of bringing localized torrential downpours over prolonged periods could develop in the northeastern Tohoku region as a seasonal rain front moves north.
A woman in her 60s was declared dead after being found unresponsive in a submerged car at an underpass in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, according to the local fire department.
Two people suffered minor injuries after falling amid the heavy rain in Chiba, the prefectural government said.
The central government has set up a liaison headquarters at the prime minister's office to assess potential damage and streamline emergency responses.
The weather agency is warning of more rainfall in wide areas facing the Pacific as warm and damp air approaches the rain front stretching along the main island of Honshu.
© KYODO