Scorching heat grips much of Japan, expected to continue on Sunday
Much of Japan was gripped by sweltering heat on Saturday, with temperatures soaring to 35 degrees Celsius or higher especially in western parts of the country.
The hot weather is expected to continue on Sunday, prompting warnings of heatstroke.
The Meteorological Agency says a high pressure system prevailed over wide regions from western to northern Japan.
A daytime high of 36.4 degrees was recorded in the town of Akiota in Hiroshima Prefecture. The mercury reached 33.8 degrees in central Tokyo and 33.5 degrees in Osaka City.
Tokyo Fire Department officials say that as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, 15 people in the capital between the ages of 18 and 99 had been taken to hospital with symptoms of heatstroke.
Temperatures are likely to remain high mainly from the Kinki to Kyushu regions in the west. Overnight lows are not expected to fall below 25 degrees in some areas.
Another scorching day is forecast for Sunday.
A daytime high of 37 degrees is expected in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. Highs of 36 degrees are likely in the cities of Saga, Yamaguchi, Okayama, Kyoto and Kumagaya, while Kumamoto, Takamatsu, Osaka and Fukushima cities can expect a high of 35 degrees.
Heatstroke alerts have been issued for the prefectures of Shimane, Tokushima, Kochi, Fukuoka, Oita, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima excluding the Amami region, as well as Okinawa's main island and Yaeyama regions.
Temperatures are expected to remain high for the coming month.
People are advised to use air conditioners, take liquids and salt and rest frequently during outdoor activities.
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NHK
4 hours ago
- NHK
Scorching heat grips much of Japan, expected to continue on Sunday
Much of Japan was gripped by sweltering heat on Saturday, with temperatures soaring to 35 degrees Celsius or higher especially in western parts of the country. The hot weather is expected to continue on Sunday, prompting warnings of heatstroke. The Meteorological Agency says a high pressure system prevailed over wide regions from western to northern Japan. A daytime high of 36.4 degrees was recorded in the town of Akiota in Hiroshima Prefecture. The mercury reached 33.8 degrees in central Tokyo and 33.5 degrees in Osaka City. Tokyo Fire Department officials say that as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, 15 people in the capital between the ages of 18 and 99 had been taken to hospital with symptoms of heatstroke. Temperatures are likely to remain high mainly from the Kinki to Kyushu regions in the west. Overnight lows are not expected to fall below 25 degrees in some areas. Another scorching day is forecast for Sunday. A daytime high of 37 degrees is expected in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. Highs of 36 degrees are likely in the cities of Saga, Yamaguchi, Okayama, Kyoto and Kumagaya, while Kumamoto, Takamatsu, Osaka and Fukushima cities can expect a high of 35 degrees. Heatstroke alerts have been issued for the prefectures of Shimane, Tokushima, Kochi, Fukuoka, Oita, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima excluding the Amami region, as well as Okinawa's main island and Yaeyama regions. Temperatures are expected to remain high for the coming month. People are advised to use air conditioners, take liquids and salt and rest frequently during outdoor activities.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Western Japan sees earliest end to rainy season on record
Japan's rainy season ended at the earliest date on record in the country's western regions, meteorologists said Friday, as climate change makes global weather patterns less predictable. The rainy season usually lasts from June to July, but for a large swath of the country — from Kyoto to the southern island of Kyushu — it ended roughly three weeks earlier than usual, the Meteorological Agency said. Previous records for the earliest ending to the rainy season in those areas were in early July, logged in the 1960s through the 1990s, the weather agency added. Japan endured its hottest summer on record last year as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide. Increasingly dry winters have also raised the risk of wildfires. A blaze that broke out in the city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture in early March was Japan's worst in over half a century. For the nation's Pacific coast, last winter was the driest since records began in 1946, according to the agency. Strong typhoons have also triggered floods and landslides in recent years. "Currently, in the western regions, we are seeing a strong high-pressure system that is not likely to weaken in the foreseeable future," the agency's meteorologist said on Friday. He said it was not possible to draw a direct link between the current weather conditions and climate change. But a changing climate has been observed "over many years," he added.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Soaring temperatures during Club World Cup raise concerns for 2026 World Cup
Soaring temperatures at this year's Club World Cup have raised concerns over afternoon kickoff times at the 2026 World Cup, as the expanded tournament poses logistical challenges for organizers. A heat wave across the United States saw Borussia Dortmund face South Korea's Ulsan in Cincinnati on Wednesday with temperatures exceeding 32.2 degrees Celsius with the kickoff at 3 p.m. local time. Players took advantage of FIFA's once-per-half cooling breaks during games this week while Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told reporters it was "impossible" to organize regular training sessions in the afternoons in sweltering Philadelphia. Global players' union FIFPRO said the conditions should "serve as a wake-up call." "As climate change is making extreme weather conditions, including dangerous heat, an increasingly urgent issue for everyone in the football industry, the risk posed by kickoffs in very high temperatures is real and growing," a FIFPRO spokesperson said. FIFPRO urged global soccer bodies to reevaluate kickoff times to better address heat conditions, while praising organizers like FIFA for its flexibility in adding cooling breaks to games. "We believe there is still a lot more that should be done to prioritize player health and safety," FIFPRO said. "Current protocols and laws of the game require urgent revision — this is a challenge the entire football industry must take on together." FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Match times for the 2026 World Cup, cohosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, have yet to be announced, but organizers may face challenges if sweltering conditions return. Heat issues would come as no surprise to those who were at the tournament in 1994, the last time the United States hosted. "The cacophony of complaints echoing across the land could drown out the cheers at the nine stadiums where they are showcasing international soccer's quadrennial event," the Los Angeles Times wrote a week into that tournament, as high temperatures had fans steaming. More than 90,000 fans piled in to watch the final in Pasadena, where temperatures reached 37.8 C. It was the last time that a World Cup final was played entirely in daylight. With the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams, afternoon kickoffs may be unavoidable to meet scheduling demands and accommodate lucrative European broadcast markets. "The big broadcasters are investing a ton of money, so they're not super interested in having the schedule changed to accommodate heat if it means that they're not going to make as much ad revenue," said Madeleine Orr, an author and sports ecologist. Host cities at the highest heat risk in 2026 — including Miami, Monterrey, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston and New York — should avoid kickoff times in the hottest afternoon hours, Orr said in a study she co-authored earlier this year. Orr said pushing more afternoon games to one of the tournament's four indoor venues in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver could be part of the solution. "You need your broadcasters to be happy," Orr said. "If we're talking about safety first, it's not complicated at all. If we're talking about hosting a major event and making it financially feasible and seeing this event happen at all, it's complicated."
