2018 japan heat wave

2018 Japan heat wave

Throughout much of July 2018, a record-breaking heat wave affected large areas of Japan. Many areas experienced temperatures in excess of 35 °C (95 °F), and Kumagaya recorded a maximum temperature of 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) on 23 July – the highest ever observed in Japan. At least 80 people have died from heat-related causes and at least 22,000 had heat stroke, requiring hospitalization.

Following flooding and mudslides that lasted from late June through mid-July 2018, an extensive heat wave spread across the Japanese mainland. In the prefectures that had been hit the worst by floods and landslides, Hiroshima, Okayama, and Ehime, 145 people were hospitalized with heat stroke symptoms as temperatures there rose above 35 °C (95.0 °F).On 15 July, 200 out of 927 stations in the nationwide observation network recorded maximum temperatures exceeding 35 °C (95.0 °F). On 23 July, a high temperature of 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) was observed in Kumagaya, 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Tokyo. This constitutes an all-time high for all of Japan.^[3] Many cities recorded temperatures near 40 °C (104 °F) on this day. In Kyoto, temperatures stood above 38 °C (100 °F) for seven days in a row for the first time since records began to be kept in the 19th century.

By 24 July, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) called the event a natural disaster and indicated many areas were observing "unprecedented levels of heat".

At least 80 people have died nationwide from heat-related causes and more than 22,000 people have required hospitalization for heat stroke. Fatalities have occurred in 28 of the nation's 47 prefectures. Between 15 and 22 July, 65 people died from the heat, including 11 on 21 July and 13 on 23 July. The number of casualties from the heat was the greatest seen in a single week period since the government started detailed records in 2008. On 17 July, the Tokyo Fire Department dispatched ambulances 2,900 times—the greatest number in a single day since the department began in 1936. This was surpassed only four days later, 21 July, when ambulances were dispatched 3,125 times.

The Education Ministry issued a warning to schools to take precautions against heat stroke, following the death of one six-year-old boy who was attending an outdoor event.Fewer than half of schools in the country have air conditioning, and government officials discussed extending school holidays for safety. Furthermore, the government considered covering the cost of installing air conditioners in schools. Kyushu Electric Power offered 10 percent discounts to customers aged 75 years and older for their August and September bills to promote using air conditioning.

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