Tokyo has endured a record-breaking 10 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 35°C (95°F), the Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed on Wednesday. This unprecedented heat streak, the longest since records began in 1875, follows the country’s hottest June and July ever documented since 1898. Scientists attribute the intensifying and increasing frequency of such heatwaves worldwide to human-caused climate change, a trend to which Japan is no exception. The extreme heat was punctuated by a national record of 41.8°C, set in the central city of Isesaki earlier in August.
The scorching temperatures pose a severe public health risk, particularly for Japan’s elderly population, which is the world’s second-oldest. Japanese officials are urgently advising the public to seek refuge in air-conditioned spaces to avoid heatstroke. The danger is already starkly evident; last week alone, more than 8,400 people were hospitalized due to heat-related illnesses, and 12 of them died, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
While one part of the country bakes, others are facing deluges, highlighting the volatile and extreme weather patterns. On the northern island of Hokkaido, the town of Toyotomi received over a month’s worth of an average August’s rainfall in just 12 hours. Meanwhile, in western Yamaguchi prefecture, nearly 400 households were advised to evacuate due to a high risk of landslides triggered by the heavy rains, illustrating the dual climate crises of extreme heat and precipitation.
The consequences of a warming climate are having a profound impact on Japan’s environment and economy. Experts note that cherished cherry blossoms are blooming earlier and sometimes incompletely due to insufficiently cold winters, and Mount Fuji’s iconic snowcap appeared at its latest recorded date last year. Globally, the UN warns that rising temperatures are severely affecting worker health and productivity, with manual laborers in agriculture and construction being hardest hit. Productivity is estimated to drop by 2-3% for every degree the temperature rises above 20°C, leading to increased risks of heatstroke, dehydration, and other serious health disorders.
