HK tourists stranded at Narita Airport, Japan amid rain-led disruption

Heavy rain in Japan's Chiba Prefecture has left thousands of people stranded at Narita Airport, including tourists from Hong Kong.

Some finally made their way back after many twists and turns.

A couple returning from Japan says after learning the railway services had stopped, she immediately took a taxi.

However, many roads along the way were closed.

With constant route changes and traffic jams, it ultimately took six to seven hours to reach the airport, and she still missed her flight.

She shares that in Chiba, there was pouring rain with thunder and lightning.

She was worried whether the driver could handle the long drive, and the fare came to about 40,000 yen, roughly 2,000 Hong Kong dollars.

By the time she got to the airport, all the screens were off.

It was already past 1am, and her flight had already left.

Another tourist Ms. Yu says her journey to the airport was eight hours on an Uber, even though it's normally just a one-hour trip.

She slept in a sleeping bag at the airport, as she waited for the next available flight the following day.

She describes the experience as "traumatic" and she does not dare to go to Chiba again.

She hopes additional spending can be claimed through travel insurance.

Meanwhile, at Hong Kong International Airport, flights to Tokyo's Narita Airport are shown as boarding normally, and many Hong Kong residents are setting off as usual.

Mr. Yuen says his original plan is to stay one night at Narita Airport, and then head out to city centre afterward.

So any potential delays through traffic does not affect him as much.

Mr. Yeung, a tourist from Jiangsu, meanwhile, is worried his trip to Hokkaido the next morning will be affected.

Cathay Pacific and HK Express have both stated that passengers who are unable to catch their scheduled flights due to adverse weather conditions may be offered complimentary rebooking options.