Yet another natural disaster has struck in Japan as floods and landslides in the Noto peninsula, precipitated by ‘unprecedented’ rainfall, have killed seven (according to the state broadcaster NHK) with 10 people missing. As usual, these numbers are expected to rise.

The Ishikawa area was pounded on Saturday with the heaviest continuous rainfall (540 millimetres in 72 hours in the city of Wajima) since records began. One resident Akemi Yamashita described scenes as ‘heart-breaking’ with the floods, which she saw rising quickly to half the height of her car as she drove through town, like ‘something from a movie’.

This latest tragedy is a reminder of how treacherous, climatically and topographically Japan is

More than 100 communities have been cut off entirely as nearly two dozen rivers burst their banks and 4,000 households were without power on Monday, according to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company. Tens of thousands have been urged to evacuate by the authorities after the weather agency issued emergency warnings. Military personnel have been sent to the........

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