Atmospheric conditions became unstable on August 21 due to the inflow of warm and humid air in the southern Kanto Region, resulting in heavy rainfall in the evening.

In Tokyo’s Nishi-Shinjuku district, a manhole cover blew off and a column of water rose high into the sky.

There were at least three other cases of manhole covers blowing off across Tokyo.

According to Tokyo’s Bureau of Sewerage, the torrential rainfall is believed to have exceeded the capacity of the sewer pipes.

This caused the excess rainwater to spew onto the ground and the covers to blow off.

The manhole covers are 60 cm in diameter and weigh approximately 50 kilograms, but there have been no reports of injuries.

The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train service between Tokyo and Shinagawa stations was temporarily suspended as rain gauges reached regulatory limits.

Air travel at Haneda Airport was also affected by the downpour, with ground operations, including aircraft guidance, being suspended for 90 minutes due to possible lightning.

The suspension resulted in a series of destination changes and cancelled flights.

Currently, service has returned to normal operations.