Japan's Deluge: A Harbinger of Turbulent Weather Patterns? The unprecedented rain that battered eastern Japan has left six people dead and thousands stranded in its wake.
Authorities are scrambling to respond, but the disaster raises questions about whether this is merely a harbinger of more turbulent weather patterns to come.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as "an extremely unusual event, even by Japan's historical weather standards.