From Europe to Asia, floods to heatwaves, world experiences weather shocks

A man rides his bike along a flooded road near Chiba metro station in Chiba, Japan, on Aug. 13, 2026, as heavy rain swept through the area. Torrential rain pummeled eastern Japan, triggering landslides and power outages, and prompting the weather authority to issue its highest-level heavy rain warning for the region for the first time. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images In Japan, record-breaking rains outside the capital Tokyo on Friday led to widespread flooding and at least eight deaths, according to Japanese media. The overnight rains also knocked out transportation during the peak of holiday travel season. Some parts of Chiba prefecture outside Tokyo saw three times more rain in half a day than they usually see for the whole month of August, according to Japan's meteorological agency. Evacuation orders were issued for more than 100,000 residents. About 40 percent of the prefectures, cities and towns were flooded. More than 20,000 households lost power.Several of those who died were found on flooded roads trapped in submerged cars, according to Kyodo News. Trains and highways were shut down, and thousands of travelers we...