Heavy rain from tropical storm raises flood risks in the Tokyo region

TOKYO (AP) — A tropical storm dumped heavy rain and raised flood risks around east-central Japan as it moved into the heavily populated Tokyo region Wednesday.

Heavy rain already paralyzed street traffic in the city, hundreds of flights were cancelled and train services were suspended or delayed. More than 5,000 homes lost power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which serves the capital region.

In downtown Tokyo, residents near the Zenpukuji River were advised to take shelter. Television footage showed the swollen muddy water on the verge of overflowing.

Tropical Storm Jangmi was east of Shima city and moving northeast around midmorning while packing maximum sustained winds of 90 kph (55 mph), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency issued the highest-level flood warning in a number of areas in central and eastern Japan, urging people living along rivers and in vulnerable areas to move to higher ground for safety.

The storm dumped 50 centimeters (20 inches) of rain in the past 24 hours in the Owase area in central Japan. Up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) was expected through Thursday morning in some areas including Tokyo, JMA said.

Jangmi made landfall in Wakayama prefecture at typhoon strength with 126 kph (78 mph) winds before moving inland and weakening significantly. It was forecast to maintain tropical-storm strength for much of the day.

The typhoon earlier hit the southern island of Okinawa and left 15 people with slight injuries.

An area of the swollen Koza River is seen in Kozagawa town, Wakayama prefecture, central Japan, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, following a severe weather system in the area. (Tatsuya Sugawa/Kyodo News via AP)

People walk in the rain in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

A woman walks in the rain in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

The mouth of the swollen Koza River is seen in Kushimoto town, Wakayama prefecture, central Japan, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, following a severe weather system in the area. (Tatsuya Sugawa/Kyodo News via AP)

People fold umbrellas to get into a store during a rain in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the Democratic primary in a battleground New Jersey congressional district to take on Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has been absent with an unspecified illness for months.

Bennett’s victory over three other Democrats on Tuesday sets up the state’s premier contest in November, when the party hopes it can flip the onetime Republican stronghold that has proven competitive in recent years. The district includes bedroom communities and farm towns as well as President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

Kean’s absence — his last vote was in early March — has supercharged interest in the seat, which Democrats view as key to winning control of the narrowly divided U.S. House. Voters in the 7th District have ousted two incumbents during midterm elections over the past decade.

Addressing supporters in Bridgewater, Bennett called Kean a “coward.”

“You are failing us, and you do not deserve to represent us in Washington,” she said.

In her speech, Bennett referred to “Tom Kean Jr., wherever you are,” drawing applause from supporters. She criticized Kean over his vote for Trump’s tax legislation and his failure to stand up to the president's threat to cut funding for a rail tunnel between New Jersey and New York.

Trump's package of spending and tax cuts expanded the state and local tax deduction. New Jersey has among the highest property taxes in the nation.

The Democrats are leaning into the rising costs of groceries and gasoline caused by the Iran war and Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

Bennett built her campaign around her experience as a Navy helicopter pilot as well as around affordability, noting that she drives a no-frills sedan and emphasizing her relatability as a working mom.

Araz Shahinian, a 49-year-old systems developer, said he voted for Bennett, noting he’s worried about the state of politics and rising prices. “She had the more centrist views,” he said.

Bennett's victory comes as Kean, who received Trump’s endorsement, remains out of public view. He did not make any appearances ahead of the primary, and he did not face a challenge for the Republican nomination.

Kean issued a statement on Tuesday saying “I will continue putting our constituents first” and “I am optimistic about the road ahead.”

“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals. I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks,” Kean said, without explaining his condition.

Nina Orvyn, a Democratic voter and Bennett supporter who attended her victory party, said she was disappointed by Kean's absence.

“It shines a spotlight on the fact that he’s basically absent in the district and now he’s absent in Congress,” she said.

The district was redrawn after the most recent census to become more favorable to Republicans, but it's gone back and forth in recent years. Kean ousted incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2022, who defeated Republican Rep. Leonard Lance in 2018.

Also being watched is a Republican Senate primary. The party has been adrift in New Jersey since last year, when its Trump-backed candidate for governor lost by double digits. Voters faced a four-way race between attorney Justin Murphy, surgeon Robert Lebovics, Army veteran Richard Tabor and former TV reporter Alex Zdan.

The winner will try to dislodge Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who is running for a full third term.

More House seats could have noteworthy campaigns in the fall.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew is seeking a fifth term in southern New Jersey’s 2nd District. He was originally elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party during Trump's first term. Zack Mullock, the mayor of Cape May, New Jersey, won the district's Democratic primary Tuesday.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a surgeon and Army veteran, won a crowded primary in the heavily Democratic 12th District in central New Jersey, where Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman is retiring.

Hamawy shot to prominence with endorsements from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives. Some of his opponents recently began criticizing him over his connection to Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, a blind Egyptian cleric convicted in 1995 of conspiring to blow up the United Nations and other New York-area landmarks.

Hamawy was a defense witness in the sheikh's trial but wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. He has condemned violence and distanced himself from the sheikh during the campaign. Abdel-Rahman died in federal prison in 2017.

Republicans also were picking their nominee in northern New Jersey's 9th District, choosing between attorney Tiffany Burress and Clifton City Councilwoman Rosie Pino, to take on first-term Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou.

Pou's margin of victory in 2024 was narrower than her long-serving predecessor, Rep. Bill Pascrell, and coincided with Trump winning a county in the district.

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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

From left, Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, holds her daughter Rosie, alongside her husband Alex Hydrean and daughter Millie during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, hugs attendees during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, hugs an attendee during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Supporters hug during a primary election night watch party for Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Supporters cheer during a primary election night watch party for Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Voting messages are displayed on a car at a primary election night watch party for Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A worker sets up the stage during a primary election night watch party for Rebecca Bennett, Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bridgewater, N.J. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A sign directs voters to a polling place for the New Jersey primary election in Cherry Hill township, N.J., Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person walks from a polling place for the New Jersey primary election in Oaklyn, N.J., Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

FILE - This photo combination shows Democrat candidates for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, from left, Rebecca Bennett, May 30, 2026, in Flemington, N.J., Brian Varela, May 30, 2026, in Sparta, N.J. and Michael Roth, May 31, 2026, in Rahway, N.J. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2019, file photo, New Jersey Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., R-Westfield, addresses reporters in Trenton, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)