TOKYO - Disaster-level heat gripped much of Japan on July 22, with temperatures of 40 C forecast in parts of the Kanto and Tokai regions and heatstroke alerts issued for 41 prefectures from Okinawa to Tohoku.
Temperatures rose sharply from the morning, reaching 37.5 C in Nagoya and 37.3 C in Hatoyama, Saitama Prefecture, and other locations by 11 a.m. More than 100 observation points nationwide had already recorded temperatures of 35 C or higher by that time.
Central Tokyo reached 35 C shortly after 9:30 a.m., marking the earliest time this year that the capital had recorded an extremely hot day of 35 C or above. The temperature later climbed to 35.1 C by 11 a.m.
At the rotary outside Kumagaya Station in Saitama Prefecture, people waiting for buses gathered beneath misting equipment to escape the intense sunlight.
"It feels like being inside a sauna the whole time," one person said. "We use a cooling seat that blows air and a fan, and I make sure they carry a bottle filled with plenty of ice."
An elderly woman in her 80s in Nagoya said she had grown accustomed to the city's heat after living there all her life, "but this year is hot."
Daytime highs were forecast to reach 40 C in Nagoya and Kumagaya, 39 C in Saitama and Kofu, and 38 C in Kyoto and Okayama.
The number of observation points recording temperatures of 40 C or higher could approach the all-time daily record of 14 locations.
Nagoya's minimum temperature on July 22 was 29.1 C, the highest overnight low ever recorded in the city. Although the official daytime high was forecast at 40 C, a thermometer in the central Sakae district was already showing 40.3 C.
Cloudless skies, intense sunlight and heat reflected from asphalt created severe conditions in the area. Far fewer pedestrians than usual were visible, apparently because of the extreme heat.
The heat was expected to remain at its peak through around Friday, July 24. Nagoya was forecast to reach 40 C for two consecutive days.
The Tokyo Fire Department said 176 people ranging in age from 1 to 97 were taken to hospitals in the capital with suspected heatstroke between midnight and 3 p.m. on July 22.
The preliminary total was the highest recorded by 3 p.m. since the department began using its current counting method in 2022.
Among those transported, a woman in her 90s was in critical condition. Two men in their 80s and one man in his 70s were seriously ill, while 79 people had moderate symptoms and 93 had mild symptoms.
By 9 a.m., 10 people had already been transported with suspected heatstroke, underscoring how quickly cases increased as temperatures rose.
On July 21, 287 people ranging in age from 3 to 103 were taken to hospitals in Tokyo with suspected heatstroke, the highest daily total since the current counting method began in 2022.
A total of six people died of suspected heatstroke in Hyogo, Gunma and Ibaraki prefectures on July 21.
Heatstroke alerts remained in effect across the three Tokai prefectures and 38 other prefectures. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity, use air conditioning and drink water frequently.
Source: TBS
