Record-Breaking Rainfall Leaves Eight Dead and Thousands Stranded in Japan

NYT World Friday 14 August 2026, 09:39 UTC By Kiuko Notoya 1 min read

Key Points

Vehicles submerged on a flooded road in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, on Friday.

Japan (LOCATION) Sakura (LOCATION) Chiba Prefecture (LOCATION)

Originally published by NYT World Read original →

Fields have been scorched by the drought around St Catherine’s Chapel at Abbotsbury in Dorset, UKGraham Hunt/Alamy Summer 2026 is likely to be the warmest on record in the UK, with repeated searing heatwaves and a severe drought affecting much of the country. In southern England in particular, the landscape is parched and crispy, rivers and reservoirs are running low, and trees are shedding their leaves in a stress response to the dry weather. Much of Europe is baking under similar conditions.

New Scientist 18m ago

‘I’ve never done anything like this in my life’: Marina Abramović on making art with balloons

The artist’s latest swerve sees her creating an alien inflatable landscape for New York’s Balloon MuseumOversized inflatable blades of grass graze my face as I wind a path through the glowing white gallery space. Little papery squares of snow blow, some sticking to my hair. The path through the room curves so that only what is right in front of me is visible: initially, it seemed like I would reach the far side of the room in mere seconds but still my journey, magically, continues.

The Guardian UK 36m ago

Gen Z and millennials have it far worse than my generation. Here's why | Opinion

'I know my age group has called the young lazy, entitled snowflakes,' says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, who has been writing for the Guardian for nearly 50 years. 'But I know whose side I’m on and it’s not my own generation’s. 'Polly believes that the social contract between younger and older generations has been broken, with gen Z and millennials set to be worse off than their parents in the face of soaring unemployment, stagnating wages and ballooning house prices.

The Guardian Business 42m ago

Record-Breaking Rainfall Leaves Eight Dead and Thousands Stranded in Japan

Related Stories

Europe swelters under new heatwave

How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?

‘I’ve never done anything like this in my life’: Marina Abramović on making art with balloons

Gen Z and millennials have it far worse than my generation. Here's why | Opinion