Scorching Heat Across Japan
Scorching heat across Japan has prompted authorities to warn against possible heatstroke.
The Meteorological Agency says temperatures have been rising from Friday morning due to a high-pressure system covering a wide area from Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan through the northeast.
By 11:30 a.m. on Friday, temperatures had risen to 37 degrees Celsius in Osaka City, western Japan, and 36.7 degrees in Nagoya City, central Japan, and Takahashi City in western Japan. Morning highs were 36.6 degrees in Kiryu City, eastern Japan, 36.5 in Kyoto City, western Japan, 36.3 in Ebino City, southwestern Japan, and 36 in Ozu City, western Japan, and Ishikawa Town in northeastern Japan.
Extreme heat has continued in eastern and western Japan for about two weeks, causing heatstroke fatalities, many of them among the elderly.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it newly confirmed 17 deaths from heatstroke from August 13 through Thursday. It added that 80 percent of the victims were in their 70s or older. Fourteen victims had not been using air conditioners.
The capital's death toll from heatstroke this month totals 148.
