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Massive storm lights up Tokyo with thousands of lightning strikes 【Pics & Videos】

Oona McGee Aug 29, 2018
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It was the strongest thunderstorm to hit the capital in years.

If you’ve been reading the news recently, you’ll know that Japan is no stranger to extreme and sudden changes dealt out by Mother Nature. However, while residents are often bracing themselves against earthquakes and typhoons, one thing that’s surprisingly less frequent in Japan are big, fearsome thunderstorms.

So when a large stormfront rolled in towards the nation’s capital last night, people couldn’t be entirely sure of what to expect, but many had their cameras at the ready to record the evening’s events. It turned out to be one of the biggest electrical storms to hit Tokyo in years, and residents recorded some eyebrow-raising scenes around the city.

おつかれさまです
今日のカミナリです
カメラがびちゃびちゃになっちゃった
PENTAX K-1 + Irix 15mm pic.twitter.com/fUXoaMs9eS

— 🦑塩辛🦑 (@siokaraikano) August 27, 2018

The lightning bolts were so close for some that even the view from indoors was frightening.

向かいのマンションに雷落ちた#カミナリ #雷 pic.twitter.com/XDCuiYzWjt

— モストボイ (@Ta_Tsu_Ya1031) August 27, 2018

▼ Children in Japan are taught to cover their belly buttons during a storm so the god of thunder doesn’t snatch it away.

Well, that was quite a show! Haven't seen lightning like that in Tokyo for years. When I was little my mum would tell me to hide my belly button during a storm so the god of thunder wouldn't take it away. Hope you all hid your belly buttons!#雨 #雷すごい #大雨 #雷雨 #雷 #嵐 pic.twitter.com/WMXRuflOjf

— Oona McGee 🇯🇵🇮🇪🇦🇺 (@OonaMcGee) August 27, 2018

▼ But things were even more dangerous for those who ventured outdoors.

guess I don't need to get food tonight after all, jesus christ#雷雨 #雷 pic.twitter.com/v86V0SuWxo

— 𝙈𝘼𝙓𝙄𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙉🗡マキシミリアン (@maximillianaire) August 27, 2018

This photographer was game enough to snap some incredible photos from a high vantage point, but he was careful to point out that when the vertical Cumulonimbus clouds, referred to as “thunderheads” during a storm, start to get closer, it’s time to pack away the camera and head indoors.

昨夜東京を襲った雷雨の写真です。
積乱雲が近づき、雷が鳴り出したらお天気が急に変わるかもしれません。どうぞご注意ください。
いずれも安全な場所から撮影しています。（雷雲が接近しているときは野外での撮影は危険です） pic.twitter.com/dhPDJhDjFJ

— KAGAYA (@KAGAYA_11949) August 27, 2018

With this much energy in a single lightning bolt, storms might be beautiful to capture on film, but they’re also incredibly dangerous.

稲妻の微細構造。（本日撮影）
近かったので、雷撃で目がくらみました。 pic.twitter.com/6TgUbmlDdz

— KAGAYA (@KAGAYA_11949) August 27, 2018

According to Franklin Japan, who specialise in providing accurate and up-to-date lightning information, 1,246 lightning bolts were recorded within a 50-kilomtre (31.1-mile) radius of Tokyo Station in the space of ten minutes at 8:09 p.m.

【落雷発生】20:09に東京駅から 50Km の範囲内に10分間で 1246 回の落雷が観測されました。 #落雷 #雷 #カミナリ #東京駅 pic.twitter.com/kdk01WvKvP

— フランクリン・ジャパン (@Franklin_Japan) August 27, 2018

▼ Yahoo Japan’s “thunder radar” also showed the severity of the storm over Tokyo.

#ヤフー天気 #雷レーダー https://t.co/tJsJ71imvM
カミナリすごい、東京逃げ場なし pic.twitter.com/SXYloheUe3

— なるミソ (@sintama28) August 27, 2018

Visitors at Tokyo Disneyland, in neighbouring Chiba Prefecture, witnessed some frightening bolts of lightning close to Cinderella’s Castle.

弟から送られてきたシンデレラ城が、雷のせいで悪魔城みたいになっている pic.twitter.com/ln8tdNNqpB

— 微小時間(①) (@kurokotachan) August 27, 2018

And along with the incessant lightning came torrential downpours, which created pools of water at some of Tokyo’s busiest areas between the hours of roughly 8-9 p.m.

https://twitter.com/jam_enchan/status/1034030808267280384

▼ The stairs at Mizonokuchi Station looked more like a water feature.

溝の口駅前の階段が滝になってて笑ったｗ#溝の口 #溝の口駅 #武蔵溝ノ口駅 #田園都市線 #南武線 #滝 pic.twitter.com/JlPu66JeHV

— マミコ (@mamimu48) August 27, 2018

溝の口駅に無限に水が注がれている pic.twitter.com/fN4H0axGfh

— ろとにゃん🍣 (@rotomx) August 27, 2018

Meguro River turned into a rushing torrent of water as the sudden squalls, known as “guerilla rains,” in Japan, caused the water to rise four metres over the space of 30 minutes.

目黒川こんなんなってるらしい pic.twitter.com/vdmT7o48pa

— yu (@yyyukkk) August 27, 2018

▼ The river overflowed in some areas.

目黒川が… pic.twitter.com/JvTSLMP40t

— あまよい (@amayoi) August 27, 2018

This pictogram shows just how quickly Meguro River filled with water, peaking at 430 centimetres at 8:40 p.m.

目黒川の水位がはん濫発生水位まであと30cmまで迫ってた。水位が上がりだしてから30分で4mも水位上がるなんて怖すぎ。https://t.co/1PfqokBul3 pic.twitter.com/wthy5JSLkP

— 星野夕陽＠防災士 (@choidamnet) August 27, 2018

The city sent out alerts online and sounded warning sirens in the vicinity to warn people to be vigilant as there was a possibility that the river could cause flooding.

https://twitter.com/winner_51/status/1034045640278401025

Thankfully, the worst of the storm had passed by this stage, and the water level here and at other waterways around Tokyo gradually decreased. As a result of the freak storm, there were some slight transport delays and approximately 7,700 residences in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area lost power temporarily. Thankfully, however, there were no recorded casualties.

According to the meteorological bureau, more rain is expected for the Kanto region in the coming days, so be sure to take care if you’re in the area. And don’t forget to check the skies for a possible sighting of a cloud resembling Laputa, the floating castle from Castle in the Sky.

Source: Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Twitter/@siokaraikano

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