Heavy rains kill eight in Japan as Europe endures fifth summer heatwave and UK faces record temperatures
Record rains in Japan caused flooding and at least eight deaths, while Europe grapples with its fifth heatwave of the season and the United Kingdom records temperatures near 100 °F.
Heavy rains outside Tokyo on Friday produced unprecedented flooding, killing at least eight people and prompting evacuation orders for more than 100,000 residents, Japanese media reported. The downpour, described by the national meteorological agency as three times the typical half-day rainfall for August in parts of Chiba prefecture, left about 40 % of local municipalities underwater and cut power to over 20,000 households. Several victims were found trapped in submerged vehicles on flooded roads, and transport disruptions stranded thousands of travelers at Narita International Airport.
In Europe, the continent’s fifth heatwave of the summer is affecting roughly 300 million people, officials said, with temperatures exceeding 95 °F in France, Italy and Spain. The heat follows a week of severe wildfires in France and Spain, driven by intense drought conditions that have led to water restrictions across about 70 % of France. French authorities described the drought as “historic and critical,” noting its impact on rivers and nuclear power generation.
In Italy, receding waters in Rome’s Tiber River revealed the ancient Nero’s Bridge, while in Croatia firefighters fought a major blaze in the coastal town of Omis, hospitalising 14 people, according to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Low Danube River levels forced Romania to shut down its second reactor at the Cernavodă plant, and Hungary announced plans for a long-term response to the river’s reduced flow affecting its nuclear facility.
The United Kingdom recorded temperatures near 100 °F in southern England, prompting a rare wildfire in the New Forest and home fires in the West Midlands that forced evacuations and hospitalised a child and three firefighters. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the situation as “awful to see homes and communities hit by fires across the country.” Drought has been declared in three-quarters of England and all of Wales, with water companies warning of possible supply shortages within six weeks and urging residents to conserve water.
July was the hottest month on record for the UK, and the national weather agency projects 2026 to become the hottest year on record.