Japan: Tokyo Hit by Evening Downpours and Flooding After Extreme Heat

On the evening of August 18, heavy rain hit parts of Tokyo, flooding some roads. Severe rain and flood warnings were issued for eastern Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward and western Tama. Earlier the same day, the Kanto region experienced extreme heat, with temperatures soaring above body temperature in several areas, including 39°C recorded in Fuchu City. The intense heat caused highly unstable atmospheric conditions, leading to the rapid development of thunderstorms across the region by the evening.

Crown princess at charity concert

Crown princess at charity concert

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko arrives at the venue of a charity concert in Higashikurume in western Tokyo on July 21, 2025.

Crown princess at charity concert

Crown princess at charity concert

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko attends a charity concert in Higashikurume in Tokyo on July 21, 2025.

Crown princess at charity concert

Crown princess at charity concert

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko attends a charity concert in Higashikurume in Tokyo on July 21, 2025.

Crown princess at charity concert

Crown princess at charity concert

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko arrives at the venue of a charity concert in Higashikurume in western Tokyo on July 21, 2025.

Crown princess at charity concert

Crown princess at charity concert

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko arrives at the venue of a charity concert in Higashikurume in western Tokyo on July 21, 2025.

A professor lives life of supplement tablets

A professor lives life of supplement tablets

TOKYO, Japan - Toshihiko Miura, a professor of philosophy at Wayo Women's University, eats a cup noodle in front of various supplement tablets which he takes for a total three meals a day in his house in Tokyo's Higashikurume city on July 1. (Kyodo)