Japan swelters through hottest July in recorded history

Passersby are seen through a heat haze during hot weather at Sugamo district in Tokyo, Japan on June 27, 2022 

Japan has experienced its hottest July in recorded history.

Temperatures in the country were 2.16 degrees Celsius higher than average, the hottest since records began in 1898, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Thursday.

The previous record for July, set last year, saw temperatures rise 1.91 degrees Celsius above average.

Temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius in seven locations on some days, with the mercury logging 41.0 C in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture on July 29.

Sixty-two of the 153 observation posts across the country, including central Tokyo and Nagoya, set new records.

Japan’s meteorological agency said a high-pressure system over the Pacific and “warm air from the south” that covered northern regions had contributed to the spike in temperatures.

It said that it expected higher-than-usual temperatures nationwide in August and advised the public to stay hydrated to lessen the risk of heat stroke.

It also warned that Japan could see new records set in the future due to climate change.

At least 59 people have died of heatstroke in Japan since April, according to authorities.

The European Union’s climate monitor last month reported that the planet had experienced its warmest day in modern history.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week called on countries to take action to address extreme heat that is “increasingly tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals, and killing people”.