Japan records hottest summer since comparable records began; authorities advise citizens to stay hydrated

Japan again recorded its highest average temperatures since comparable data became available this summer, the agency announced on Monday, September 2. Asian country’s Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The average temperatures in the Japanese archipelago, between June and August, They were 1.76 degrees Celsius higher than the average for this period recorded during the last three decadesthe same upward deviation as last year and the largest since the JMA began collecting these statistics in 1898.

The JMA, which did not provide the exact average temperature recorded this summer in the archipelago, bases this data on measurements taken in 15 locations in the country.

Last July alone, the average daily temperature for the entire Japanese archipelago rose to 26.22 degrees, which represents an increase of 2.16 °C compared to the average recorded for that month between 1991 and 2020. The July figure also marked an all-time record.

The thermometer exceeded 40 degrees in seven parts of the country on several days during Julyaccording to the JMA, which also noted that so far this year there have been 3,509 instances of “extreme heat” or measurements in which temperatures exceeded 35 °C at the country’s nearly 1,000 meteorological observation points.

The JMA noted that this year the Japanese archipelago has been affected by a warm air system in the Pacific in the context of global warming, which has caused higher than usual temperatures during July and August.

This Monday, much of the West, Central and eastern Japan are under alert for high temperatureswith the thermometer exceeding 31 degrees in many Japanese prefectures.

Japanese authorities are advising citizens in areas affected by high temperatures to stay hydrated, use air conditioning or other ventilation systems and avoid going outside during the hottest hours of the day.

EFE