Heatwave Forecast To Grip Western Japan On Thursday
Extremely hot weather prevailed from western to eastern Japan on Wednesday, with the mercury reaching 39 degrees Celsius in some prefectures near Tokyo. Weather officials are urging people to continue to take extra care to avoid heatstroke.
The Meteorological Agency said scorching heat hit western and eastern Japan on Wednesday.
In the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions, daytime highs reached 39.7 degrees in the city of Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, 39.2 degrees in the city of Koshigaya in Saitama Prefecture, 39 degrees in the city of Tatebayashi in Gunma Prefecture, 38.9 degrees in the city of Kuwana in Mie Prefecture, 38.8 degrees in the city of Kawane-honcho in Shizuoka Prefecture, and 38.5 degrees in the city of Ome in Tokyo.
The mercury hit at least 35 degrees at 201 observation points across the country. It reached 37.5 degrees in the cities of Nagoya and Kyoto, 36.9 degrees in the city of Takamatsu, 36.2 degrees in the city of Fukuoka, and 36.1 degrees in central Tokyo.
The agency says the daytime highs in central Tokyo have risen to 35 degrees or above for 13 days, the same as the previous record.
Weather officials forecast it will be cloudy or rainy on Thursday in many parts of eastern Japan, with the daytime high in central Tokyo likely to drop to 29 degrees.
But a heatwave is forecast for many parts of western Japan.
Daytime highs are expected to hit 36 degrees in the city of Miyakonojo in Miyazaki Prefecture, and 35 degrees in the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture and the city of Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture.
Heatstroke alerts have been issued for many parts of western Japan, mainly in the Kyushu region.
Officials are urging people to take precautions against heatstroke, such as staying hydrated and using air conditioners appropriately when indoors.