Record August rainfall caused severe flooding and landslides in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on August 10–11, 2025, leaving several people missing and prompting evacuation advisories for over 3 million residents and widespread transport disruptions.
A heavy rain emergency was issued for Kirishima City, Kagoshima as record rainfall lashed Kyushu, dropping nearly 500 mm (20 inches) of rain in just 12 hours on August 8, 2025. At least two people were hospitalized in Aira City after a landslide triggered by the heavy rain caused a house to collapse.
Volcanic alert level at Kusatsu-Shiranesan’s Yugama crater, Japan was raised to Level 2 at 05:50 LT on August 4, 2025, following increased seismic activity and minor ground deformation since June.
Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture recorded 41.8°C (107.2°F) at 14:26 LT on August 5, 2025, setting Japan’s highest temperature on record and marking the second time in one week that the national record was broken.
Heavy rainfall of over 100 mm (4 inches) triggered flooding across Tokyo, stranding vehicles and causing widespread damage on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Low-lying areas in the Kanto region remain under the threat of landslides as heavy rainfall continues across the region.
The Japanese government announced this week that much more must be done to prepare for a possible Nankai Trough “megaquake,” after a government panel raised the 30-year probability of a major event to up to 82 percent and new estimates projected as many as 298 000 fatalities and damages of up to USD 2 trillion.
Japanese authorities urged residents of Akusekijima Island to evacuate after another strong earthquake struck the region on July 3, 2025, the latest in a series of more than 1 000 quakes recorded since June 21.
A strong explosive eruption occurred at Shinmoedake volcano, part of the Kirishima volcanic complex on Kyushu Island, Japan, at approximately 15:37 JST (06:37 UTC) on July 3, 2025, sending an ash plume up to 6.7 km (22 000 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.). The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had raised the volcanic alert to Level 3 on June 27, following increased volcanic unrest.
Japan recorded its hottest June since records began in 1898, with average temperatures 2.34°C (4.21°F) above normal and over 200 locations registering highs of 35°C (95°F) or more, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported on June 30, 2025.
An ongoing earthquake swarm in the Tokara Islands, southern Japan, has produced 474 tremors since June 21, 2025, with events reaching magnitudes up to M5.1 and a maximum local Japanese shindo intensity of 4.
