Heavy rain causes flooding near Tokyo that kills 4 and disrupts train and air travel

TOKYO (AP) — Record-breaking rainfall that pounded cities east of Tokyo overnight flooded roads and dozens of homes, stranded thousands of people, caused power outages and left at least four people dead and one missing.

The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe warning for heavy rain in more than a dozen municipalities in Chiba prefecture as rain subsided Friday morning but forecast more rain later in the day.

Photos and television footage showed widespread damage after daylight, with homes, cars and parts of railway tracks flooded with muddy water.

The Ground Self-Defense Force said it dispatched buses to pick up about 4,000 stranded people who stayed overnight at the Soga train station, a local route that also serves Tokyo Disney. The theme park did not report any damage.

Thousands more people were stuck overnight at the Narita airport serving the Tokyo region, with trains out of the area stopped. Services partially resumed Friday morning with delays, while flights in and out of Narita were operating normally Friday, with many people returning home at the end of Japan's Bon Buddhist holiday week. Hundreds of people took shelter overnight at the Chiba prefectural government building.

The prefecture said four people were found dead and another person was missing. The victims included a man found floating on a flooded road in Ichikawa city and a woman who had been stuck in a flooded car in Sakura city. Another person pulled from a flooded car in Kashiwa city was presumed dead.

More than 80 homes were flooded in the prefecture and nearly 230,000 residents across the prefecture were advised to take shelter, Chiba officials said.

The torrential rain and flooding also knocked out power to about 23,000 homes Friday morning, down from 68,000 earlier, according to the TEPCO Power Grid.

Record-breaking rainfall of 11.5 centimeters (4.5 inches) fell in just one hour in Chiba City and 9.7 centimeters (3.8 inches) fell in one hour in Sakura, which was also a record. JMA forecast official Takuya Hosomi told a televised emergency news conference that unprecedented levels of rainfall were recorded.

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Cars make their way through flooded road after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Torrential rain floods a road, causing a car to stall, in Ichikawa, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Kyodo News via AP)

This aerial photo shows submerged cars after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Cars make their way through flooded road after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Record-breaking torrential rain floods a road, causing a car to stall, in Ichikawa, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

MONTREAL (AP) — Ben Shelton successfully defended his National Bank Open title, beating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6 (4) in an all-American final Thursday night.

The fifth-seeded Shelton has seven career ATP Tour victories, also winning this year in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. He won the Canadian event last year in Toronto.

“Tennis-wise, this has been one of the best weeks of my life,” Shelton told the crowd. “I played some of the best tennis that I’ve ever played, and to be able to put that on display here in front of you has been an honor. So, thank you guys for bringing the energy all week.”

Shelton didn't drop a set in the tournament. The first repeat winner in Canada since Rafael Nadal in 2019, the 23-year-old left-hander will move up to sixth in the world ranking.

Shelton served at 142 mph without surrendering a break point throughout the match that lasted 1 hour, 27 minutes.

“He’s been playing at an insane level, it really has been incredible to see his career so far,” Nakashima said about Shelton. “He’s going to be a top player for his whole career.”

The 28th-seeded Nakashima won his lone tour title in 2022 in San Diego.

In the doubles final, Brazil’s Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz edged Croatia’s Mate Pavic and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo 5-7, 6-4, 10-6.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Ben Shelton of the United States hoists the trophy following his win over compatriot Brandon Nakashima during final tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon Nakashima of the United States hits a return to Ben Shelton during final tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon Nakashima of the United States hits a return to his compatriot Ben Shelton during final tennis match of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ben Shelton of the United States reacts during his match against compatriot Brandon Nakashima during the final tennis match of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ben Shelton of the United States hits a return to his compatriot Brandon Nakashima during the final tennis match of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ben Shelton of the United States reacts during his match against compatriot Brandon Nakashima during the final tennis match of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)