Millions Evacuated in Japan Amid Floods

Millions of residents in southwestern Japan have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rains triggered severe flooding and landslides, while thousands in Spain have been forced from their homes due to rapidly spreading wildfires.

In Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, television footage showed entire districts submerged under nearly one meter of water, leaving homes, businesses, and vehicles damaged. 

Tamana City, the hardest-hit area, recorded over 37 centimetres of rainfall in just six hours on Monday morning, a local record. Authorities have warned that the situation poses a serious threat to life, urging maximum vigilance.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that evacuation orders have been issued to more than three million people in the region, with the highest-level warnings applying to around 384,000 residents, most in Kumamoto.

Landslides have left at least one person missing in the town of Kosa, while another elderly man was trapped in his home in Misato. Two people from greater Fukuoka remain missing after being swept away by river currents. Meteorologists cautioned that unstable soil and swollen rivers mean disaster risks remain high even as rainfall begins to ease.

Meanwhile, in northwestern Spain, authorities have evacuated thousands from towns including Carucedo and surrounding areas near Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its dramatic landscapes and Roman-era gold mines.

Officials suspect several fires were deliberately set. Blistering heat and strong, shifting winds have fuelled the blazes, creating dangerous fire whirls that forced firefighters to retreat. Some homes have already been destroyed.