4, including 3 children, die after being washed away by river

Tuesday 29th July, 04:24 AM JST

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14 Comments

sallysky at 07:45 PM JST - 28th July

I experienced the same thunderstorm at my local area i live today. I was very astonished to meet the heavy rain and thunder here. I was really scared about the sound of the thunder....anyway. I wish we would n't have such kind of weather here....
Mark_McCracken at 09:10 PM JST - 28th July

Yep. Very loud thunder for Japan. Reminded me of the thunderstorms back in the midwest USA.
smithinjapan at 09:16 PM JST - 28th July

Damn... one bolt hit a factory just a few blocks from where I was visiting in Uji City. Was THAT ever loud!
flammenwerfer at 09:16 PM JST - 28th July

that storm was insane, perhaps the heaviest downpour I have ever seen, within minutes roads were rivers and the strong wind was blowing the rain horizontally. Just saw the NHK news, the security camera showed the river went from a trickle to raging torrent in mere minutes, no wonder the kids got swept away - poor things.
some14some at 11:23 PM JST - 28th July

unfotunate but avoidable casulties, advance warning from weather dept and timely judgment on the part of people around river area.
some14some at 11:24 PM JST - 28th July

unfortunate...correction pls.
delitachan at 11:37 PM JST - 28th July

What's causing this chaotic weather in Japan now? Is there a typhoon nearby? Let's hope nobody else is harmed by this. I hope people in the Shiga pref. are ok too
jipster at 12:13 AM JST - 29th July

Construction ministry must be feeling happy about the news footage.More evidence to convince the Japanese public of the necessity to build more of those sloped slided water death slides...
Crucades at 06:41 AM JST - 29th July

global warming

this will only become more common
Speed at 08:22 AM JST - 29th July

I think a flash flood is a more accurate description of what happened here.

As for the advanced warning, there was one just about an hour before the downpour.

But people, especially kids playing around the rivers, on a very hot cloudless day, were guaranteed not to have known about any warnings nor expected this in the least.

The river went from a trickle to a raging river in just under ten minutes.
flammenwerfer at 09:07 AM JST - 29th July

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/k10013183961000.html

check out the footage of it rising, one minute it's sunny the next its dark and the little creek is suddenly pumping 50 cumecs - mad.
PleasureGelf at 09:41 AM JST - 29th July

Global warming may increase frequency and intensity of freak weather phenomena such as flash floods.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic.
KyouNoNippon at 10:44 AM JST - 29th July

Global warming had little to do with this. Anyone who has lived for an extended amount of time in a humid climate knows these kinds of storms in the summer time are a dime a dozen.

Although it did come fast, it was not unpreventable fast. I stayed outside for 20 minutes with my that-morning-hung-out-to-dry laundry waiting for the heavens to open up and then take my laundry in. You see storm clouds? Move away from the river.
JeffLee at 11:13 AM JST - 29th July

Japan's concreted rivers are the problem. If they were left as dirt, much of the water would flood over the banks and be absorbed in the soil. The level rose so quickly because all the water was held by the concrete. Stupid idea and very dangerous.