Sweltering Heat Continues In Western Japan
The sweltering heat continued in western Japan and other regions on Monday, with a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius forecast for some areas.
Meteorological agency officials attribute the hot weather to a high-pressure system covering the main island of Honshu. The mercury soared from the morning in western Japan and the Tokai region.
The highest temperature recorded by 11:30 a.m. was 35.1 degrees in Bungo-Ono City in Oita Prefecture, followed by 34.8 degrees in Nagoya, and 34.7 degrees in Takahashi City in Okayama Prefecture.
Fukuoka City marked 34.2 degrees and Osaka City 33.6 degrees.
Temperatures were expected to rise further, hitting 37 degrees in the cities of Nagoya and Kumamoto, 36 degrees in Osaka, Gifu, Yamaguchi and Fukuoka and 35 degrees in Kofu and Takamatsu.
In Tokyo, the death toll from heatstroke in August now stands at 170.
The Tokyo medical examiner's office says 22 more people were found to have died from heatstroke over nine days through Saturday.
The office says 11 of them were in their 70s, six in their 80s and three in their 90s. All but one reportedly died indoors, and 20 of them were not using air conditioners.
