Heat Wave Continues Across Japan, With Mercury Likely Hitting 41 Degrees Celsius
Extremely hot weather continues to batter areas in western and eastern Japan. The mercury is expected to reach as high as 41 degrees Celsius in the hottest areas.
The Meteorological Agency said a high pressure system over Japan started sending temperatures up on Tuesday morning.
By 11:30 a.m., the mercury had hit 37.1 degrees in Saitama Prefecture's Koshigaya City and Tokyo's Nerima Ward. The temperature had hit 36.9 degrees in Gunma Prefecture's Maebashi City by that time, and it had reached 35.4 degrees in central Tokyo.
Temperatures are expected to rise even further in the afternoon.
Tuesday's high is expected to reach 41 degrees in Saitama Prefecture's Kumagaya City. It is forecast to reach 39 degrees in Yamanashi Prefecture's Kofu City, Maebashi City, Nagoya City and Oita Prefecture's Hita City. The mercury is expected to reach 37 degrees in central Tokyo.
Authorities are advising people to take precautions against heatstroke. They are urging people to refrain from going outside and exercising during the daytime, if possible. They are also calling on people to use air conditioners appropriately and stay hydrated.
Meanwhile, rain is falling in wide areas of the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions in northern Japan. Hot and humid air is blowing into a low pressure system and the fronts over there. Localized developments of rain clouds have been observed in some areas, and they have brought heavy rain.
Due to high daytime temperatures and humid air, atmospheric conditions may become highly unstable in eastern Japan's Kanto Koshin region later on Tuesday. Some areas may be hit by thunderstorms, and downpours bringing more than 50 millimeters of hourly rain may occur.