Japan Experienced Hottest July on Record; August Also Expected to be Hotter than Average

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:58 JST, August 2, 2024

Last month was the hottest July in the nation’s history, with the highest monthly average temperature since records started being taken in 1898, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The average temperatures at 15 locations, that have been relatively unaffected by urbanization, were 0.25 C higher than last July — then the hottest July on record — and 2.16 C higher than the average between 1991 and 2020, the agency said Thursday.

Average temperatures by region were also high across the board. According to national observatory data from 149 locations, the average temperatures were 2.6 C above average in northern Japan; 2.3 C higher in eastern Japan; 1.8 C higher in western Japan and 1.3 higher in Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture’s Amami Islands. Eastern Japan, Okinawa and Amami recorded the highest average temperatures since such statistics started being recorded in 1946.

Regarding average temperatures by location, record highs were marked in 62 sites (including central Tokyo) out of the 153 spots, which included the islands of Miyakejima, Hachijojima, Chichijima and Minami-Daitojima.

According to the agency, high pressure covered western and eastern Japan, bringing high temperatures in many areas during rainy season in early July. Following the end of the rainy season, the high-pressure system made the heat even more intense.

August is also expected to be hotter than average across the nation, with there likely being a series of extremely hot days with temperatures reaching 35 C or more, especially in the first half of the month. The agency has called for caution, saying the heatstroke risk will remain high.