Late summer yudachi, summer squall

Yesterday in the Kanto region, crushing air pressure, high humidity and overcast skies made for a miserable day. But suddenly, around 5 p.m., a huge rainstorm obscured views and drenched people and landscape alike. This late afternoon summer rain storm is commonly referred to as 夕立, yuudachi. It’s a sudden and startling summer phenomenon common in the Kanto plain. 

I was waiting on the Skytree Line, the doors open for incoming passengers, returning from adventures when an obachan dashed onto the train and exclaimed that she was still getting drenched sitting near the doors. I beckoned her to move more into the interior of the train car. We watched as water poured down the train windows and thunder rumbled overhead. 

Soon after, I was on my way down the Tobu Urban Park Line which has great views of the Edo River, Mount Tsukuba and on clear days Mount Fuji. The best view is just south of Minami-Sakurai Station. School kids were enraptured by the view of a double rainbow appearing to arch from the other side of the Tone River, and over Chiba Prefecture. 

At my destination, even train staff were craning their necks to see the rainbows. At the station front, a dozen people were snapping photos of the ephemera. 

What a relief from the brutal summer we’ve been having!