EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED IN HEAVY RAINS

TOKYO, AUGUST 14 /SRNA/ - At least eight people have died in record rainfall that has hit eastern Japan, leaving thousands stranded at Tokyo's Narita Airport.

The rains, which authorities described as unprecedented, disrupted power supplies to more than 20,000 households in Chiba Prefecture.

Local authorities issued a level 5 emergency warning, the highest alert level. There is a risk of flooding and landslides, the BBC reported.

A series of storms has hit Japan and neighbouring countries this week, during a typhoon season that meteorologists expect to be unusually active. The rain is expected to continue today and overnight.

"This is an extremely unusual situation, even by Japan's historical weather standards," Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters.