June 28, 2022 09:25
Japan recorded sweltering temperatures on Tuesday for a fourth consecutive day, as temperatures in the capital broke their highest levels in nearly 150 years for the month of June, while authorities warned that electricity supplies remained strained.
The maximum temperature in Tokyo is expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, after three consecutive days in which it exceeded 35 degrees – the worst wave of hot weather in June since records began in 1875.
Hospital admissions for heatstroke rose this morning, with many in the capital continuing to ignore government advice to continue wearing masks outside enclosed spaces – a legacy of more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the second day, the authorities asked residents of the Tokyo area to rationalize electricity consumption to avoid blackouts.
The heat wave comes less than two weeks before the national elections, as opinion polls show that high prices – including electricity – are a major concern for voters, and the government’s popularity is waning.
Fuji News Network said that as of 9:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), 13 people had been taken to hospital with suspected heat stroke. Media reported that at least two people are believed to have died of heat stroke.
Source: Reuters
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