Heatwave in Japan Triggers Heatstroke Alert in 22 Prefectures

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:43 JST, July 18, 2023

As temperatures continued rising in Japan’s Kanto and Tokai regions Tuesday, the Environment Ministry and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued heatstroke alerts for 22 prefectures including Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.

The alerts urged people to stay indoors and use air conditioning, and to avoid exercising outdoors.

The mercury climbed above 35 C shortly after 9 a.m. in central Tokyo, surpassing 35 C for the third day in a row.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the highest temperatures in the country as of 12:40 p.m. included 38.4 C in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, 38.2 C in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and 37.4 C in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Cloudy and rainy weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday in many parts of the country due to the influence of the seasonal rain front.