TOKYO - Dangerous heat continued across 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 rapidly from the morning, reaching 37.5 C in Nagoya and 37.3 C in Hatoyama, Saitama Prefecture, by 11 a.m. Central Tokyo recorded 35.1 C, while more than 100 observation points nationwide had already reached 35 C or higher by that time.
At the rotary outside Kumagaya Station in Saitama Prefecture, people waiting for buses gathered beneath misting equipment to escape the strong 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."
Daytime highs were forecast to reach 40 C in Kumagaya and Nagoya, 39 C in Saitama and Kofu, and 38 C in Kyoto and Okayama.
Heatstroke alerts were issued for 41 prefectures from Okinawa through the Tohoku region, with authorities urging people to take strict precautions.
The Tokyo Fire Department said 287 people ranging in age from 3 to 103 were taken to hospitals in the capital on July 21 with suspected heatstroke. It was 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.
In central Nagoya's Sakae district, cloudless skies, intense sunlight and heat reflected from asphalt created severe conditions.
Nagoya's minimum temperature on July 22 was 29.1 C, the highest overnight low ever recorded in the city. The official daytime high was forecast to reach 40 C, while a thermometer at the scene was already showing 40.3 C.
Far fewer pedestrians than usual were seen in the area, apparently because of the heat.
Heatstroke alerts were also in effect across the three Tokai prefectures, and residents were advised to drink water frequently and take other measures to prevent heat-related illness.
Source: TBS
