Officials in Tokyo say 28 people died of heatstroke in the city during the eight-day period from August 12 to August 19. That brings the total number of fatalities this month to 131.
The Medical Examiner's Office says that 11 of the 28 victims were in their 70s. Ten were in their 80s. It says about 80 percent of the victims were at least 70 years old.
Temperatures soared on Tuesday across wide areas in Japan. The country is no stranger to blazing summers, but the need to wear facemasks due to the coronavirus poses a health risk all of its own -- heatstroke.
A high-pressure system pushed temperatures up. The mercury topped 35 degrees Celsius in a part of Fukuoka Prefecture in the southwest, and some other areas.