Japan: Record rise in mercury levels, govt issues heatstroke warning

The mercury level in the sun country rose above 40-degree Celsius, forcing the government to issue alerts for heatstrokes and advised the masses to remove their face masks if the temperature soars further. The temperature in the cities of Isesaki and Kiryu in the Gunma prefecture saw the highest reading this year, with the mercury levels rising to 40.5 degrees. Hatoyama town, located in the Saitama prefecture saw the mercury levels rising to 40.2 degrees. J

"In the municipalities of Gunma, Tochigi, Toyama, Saitama, Fukushima, and Ibaraki, the mercury level rose to 38 and 39 degrees" reported Japan Times. 

Even the cities of Sapporo and Asahikawa, located on Hokkaido island, which usually is colder in comparison to Honshu Island, temperatures rose to 30 degrees. Naha, located in the Okinawa prefecture recorded 33 degrees at the same time. 

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The capital city of Tokyo also saw the mercury level rise in the morning itself, with the temperatures rising to 30 degrees at 7 in the morning and 36 degrees close to noon. 

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In the Kanto region of the country, a special heatstroke warning was issued for six prefectures, requesting the elderly to avoid venturing outside. A heatwave advisory was also issued in several parts of the country. 

The reason behind the excessive blistering heat, as pointed out by meteorologists was an amalgamation of a high-pressure system and dry winds blowing down from the mountain, known as foehn locally. 

"The risk of heatstroke in the summer months is higher since most people in the nation are wearing masks to prevent Covid-19 reaching them. Health authorities across the nation have advised people not to wear a mask while venturing out of their homes to prevent the risk of heatstroke", says a report published in Japan Times. 

As Japan continues to swelter in blistering heat, relevant ministries have also urged people to use an air-conditioner and drink lots of  fluids. While weather forecasts show that the capital city of Tokyo might witness thunderstorms on Wednesday, the weather might continue to swelter in the western, central, and the eastern parts of the country, says weather reports. 

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(with inputs from ANI)