• Temperatures reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius in several regions, including Tokyo.
• Heat can cause heatstroke, organ damage, heart attacks, and breathing difficulties.
• Some areas experienced their hottest temperatures in decades.

Tens of millions of people in Japan were issued heatstroke warnings on Sunday as near-record high temperatures seared swaths of the country, while torrential rain deluged others.

National broadcaster NHK cautioned viewers that the heat was dangerously high, with temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees Celsius in several regions, including Tokyo.

“Please stay hydrated, use air conditioners appropriately, and avoid strenuous outings,” a news anchor warned.

Heatstroke warnings were issued for 20 of the country’s 47 prefectures, primarily in the east and southwest, affecting tens of millions of people.

Heat can kill by causing heatstroke, which affects the brain, kidneys, and other organs, but it can also cause other illnesses including a heart attack or breathing difficulties.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the temperature in Kiryu city in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, hit 39.7 degrees Celsius, while Hachioji in western Tokyo reached 38.9 degrees Celsius.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Japan was 41.1 degrees Celsius, which was first recorded in Kumagaya, Saitama, in 2018 and then matched in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, in 2020.

According to weather agency data, certain localities in Japan had their hottest temperatures in more than four decades on Sunday, including Hirono town in Fukushima prefecture (37.3C) and hot spring resort city Nasushiobara (35.4C).

Meanwhile, torrential rain continued to pummelled northern Japan, causing flooding and at least one landslip.

According to authorities, a man was discovered dead in a car submerged in a rice field in Akita prefecture, a week after seven people were killed in similar weather in the country’s southwest.

A thick band of precipitation has dumped record-breaking quantities of rain in certain parts of Japan since last weekend, forcing rivers to overflow and sodden ground to fall in landslides.

Japan is currently undergoing its annual rainy season, which frequently delivers torrential downpours and can result in flooding, landslides, and fatalities.

However, climate change, according to scientists, is increasing the chance of heavy rains in Japan and elsewhere because a warmer atmosphere contains more water.

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