Heatwave in Japan Causes Four Deaths, Prompts Heatstroke Alerts Nationwide.

Japan’s meteorological agency has issued a heatstroke alert for 26 of the country’s 47 prefectures, urging residents to avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary, use air conditioning day and night, and stay hydrated.

Extreme heat warnings were issued after temperatures reached 40°C for the first time this year on Sunday, as Japan endures another heatwave.

In Shizuoka, central Japan, temperatures hit 40°C early Sunday afternoon, while 244 other locations experienced temperatures of 35°C or higher – officially recognized as “extremely hot.”

The 40°C temperature recorded in Shizuoka shortly after 1 pm was the highest in the city since records began in 1940, according to the Japan Times.

The meteorological agency had previously warned that this summer’s temperatures are expected to exceed average levels, potentially surpassing last summer – the hottest on record.

While hot and humid summers are typical in Japan, particularly after the rainy season ends in mid- to late July, recent years have seen higher temperatures due to global heating and other climatic factors, experts say. There is significant concern for the welfare of Japan’s large elderly population, who are more vulnerable to heatstroke. The fire and disaster management agency reported that of the 2,276 people taken to hospital for heatstroke in the last week of June, more than half were over 65.

Young children are also at risk. This month, firefighters in Kyoto were called when nine children showed symptoms of heatstroke during a school trip, three of whom were hospitalized. Public broadcaster NHK warned that temperatures had reached “life-threatening” levels. At least four weather-related deaths have been reported in recent days: a man in his 70s found dead after cutting grass, an 80-year-old man who had been farming, a woman in her 90s who collapsed at home, and an 83-year-old woman who died after working outside.

In Tokyo, 198 people were hospitalized with suspected heatstroke on Sunday, NHK reported. Temperatures in parts of the city had reached at least 35°C by mid-morning on Monday.

Health ministry statistics reported by the Japan Times show that heatstroke-related deaths increased from an average of 201 annually between 1995 and 1999, to an average of 1,295 from 2018 to 2022. Between 80% and 90% of those who die are over 65, according to the data.

The highest recorded temperature in Japan was 41.1°C in Hamamatsu on August 17, 2020, and in Kumagaya, northwest of Tokyo, on July 23, 2018.