Jul 17 (NHK) - People in western Japan are battling soaring temperatures as they still reel from devastating floods and landslides triggered by record rainfalls.
The heat has been intense across much of the nation recently, hitting a high of 38.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday and over 39 degrees on Monday.
The conditions have been even harder to handle in Hiroshima Prefecture, where searches for missing people and clean-up work continue in the hardest-hit areas.
Volunteers have been forced to take frequent breaks in the shade to protect themselves.
In Okayama Prefecture, residents and volunteers are tackling an overwhelming amount of debris. It's been piling up along roadsides, and is starting to smell foul and disrupt traffic.
Environment Minister Masaharu Nakagawa visited the prefecture. He says the government will help find disposal sites to speed up the removal work.
