Japan’s unprecedented heatwave is overwhelming hospitals and farms
Japan has recorded its highest temperature ever as an unrelenting heatwave continues to grip the country, pushing temperatures to extreme levels and straining both public health systems and agricultural production.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported a scorching 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2°F) in the eastern city of Isesaki, located in Gunma Prefecture, on Tuesday, August 5. The reading surpasses the country’s previous all-time high of 41.2°C, recorded just last week in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture.
Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors, limit outdoor activities, and stay hydrated as the nation contends with dangerously high temperatures. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed that more than 53,000 people have been hospitalised this summer due to heat stroke and related illnesses.
“Today is murderously hot,” said Takeshi Ishikawa, a 63-year-old auto worker in Tokyo, pausing at a public fountain to refill his water bottle. “If it gets to 42 degrees, it would be hotter than my bath that I prepare at 40 degrees.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
