NHK





 

Scorching heat continues across wide regions of Japan, with the mercury topping 38 degrees Celsius in Niigata Prefecture along the Sea of Japan coast on Monday morning.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says temperatures are soaring mainly from the Tohoku to Kyushu regions on the Sea of Japan side. Officials say the foehn phenomenon, in which winds blowing down from mountains become dry and push up temperatures, is also reinforcing the heat.

As of 11 a.m. on Monday, the temperatures had risen to 38.1 degrees in Sanjo City in Niigata Prefecture, 35.4 degrees in Akita City and 35.1 degrees in the city of Kyoto.

The temperatures are expected to rise further. A daytime high of 38 degrees is forecast for Niigata City and Oita Prefecture's Hita City. The mercury is likely to climb to 37 degrees in Nagoya City and 36 degrees in the cities of Akita and Hiroshima.

Weather officials are urging people to take extra care to avoid heatstroke.
They advise people to avoid nonessential outings, use air conditioners properly and frequently drink water even when not feeling thirsty.