Dozens Dead, 22,000 People Hospitalized Due To Heat Wave In Japan
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike splashes water on the ground to cool down the area on July 23, 2018. Japan declared a natural disaster after a heatwave sweeping the country killed 80 people in July.
Japan’s weather agency declared a natural disaster as a heat wave continued to roil the country, leaving at least 65 dead in one week and sending more than 22,600 people to the hospital.
Government officials said heatstroke was the leading cause of the 65 deaths that occurred in the week ending Sunday. Since the beginning of the month, 80 people have died and more than 35,000 have been admitted to the hospital, The Guardian reported .
“We are observing unprecedented levels of heat in some areas," Motoaki Takekawa, a weather agency spokesman, told the BBC . Takekawa also called the heat wave “a threat to life” and added that “we recognize it as a natural disaster.”
On Monday, the central city of Kumagaya recorded a temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the country’s heat record, while Tokyo reached 104 degrees for the first time ever.
AccuWeather President and Founder Joel N. Myers warned that the death toll "will climb into the thousands before the heat wave ends."
The government has advised people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight and use air- conditioning. The heat wave could hit the elderly especially hard, as they're less able to adapt to temperature changes and may take medications that inhibit the body’s capacity to stay within certain temperature boundaries. Japan has more than 2 million people, about 1.6 percent of the population, age 90 and older.
Authorities are also concerned about the safety of children.
The BBC reported that less than half of Japan’s public schools have air-conditioning. With the government cautioning that temperatures of 95 degrees or higher could continue through early August, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said officials were considering extending summer vacation for schools.
“As a record heat wave continues to blanket the country, urgent measures are required to protect the lives of schoolchildren,” Suga said.
The crippling heat has hit some of the same areas devastated by floods and landslides, which killed at least 210 people earlier this month.
The current heat wave has sparked questions about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will take place in the hottest months of the summer. Agence France-Presse reported that Japanese officials were treating the heat quite seriously. “I wouldn’t call the heat a form of terrorism as such. But it’s just as important, because the purpose is also to protect people’s lives,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said. She also vowed to pursue “creative efforts to make sure the Games stay cool, while the competition is hot.”
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Do they have climate change in Japan, or is that strictly a "Murican thing ?
It seems that hot weather is affecting the world. Athens is having terrible wild fires, too, caused by dryness and hot weather.
It will be 107 degrees F here where I live today, 109 tomorrow, 104 on Thurs, and 102 on Fri. These temps, and higher, are pretty much a norm for our area here in So Calif. It was 115 and 117 degrees for three days here last month. They are pretty much the norm due to the fact that So Calif is in fact a desert area, and all the green seen in inhabited areas is due to the planting of various trees and other non-native plants that require a good deal of water to maintain them.
There are areas that are much hotter than where I live that are closer to the hotter desert areas. The saving grace for such heat, even here where I live, is the low humidity during the times of very high temps. From the looks of the people suffering from the heat in Japan, it must be a very humid area, adding to the high heat that can cause illness and death. The presence both high heat and high humidity can truly be a deadly combination.
You and I must live in the same area. It is 91 degrees here and it is only 11 am. It is supposed to hit 107.
We must not be that far apart, as it is now 95 degrees at 11:18 am and rising. There are two pools here in the complex where I live and they are full. The bigger pool is for residents only and it is normally full on really hot days. And the other pool is for guests, so it is usually full of family members of some residents who come to swim and visit. So due to the big crowds, I do a pass on the pools.
Crowds don't bother me, but I refuse to subject others to my fat ass in a swim suit. There might be children around and their little minds don't need to see that at all.
This reminds me of a couple weeks in 1990 during some training at Like AFB. During the first week the "coldest" it got was 108* at night one night.
Most days were in the high teens and a couple days were over 120. I think 122 was the hottest. There was a MacDonald's on base right across from the airfield entrance and next to the MTF. Walking on the sidewalk was kind of alright. Stepping on the tarmac burned right through your shoes.
One morning a young woman died from the heat when your car broke down during morning rush hour.
Don't leave home without water in those situations.
OMG..too funny....
Absolutely. I started to keep water in my trunk when I had a car with a radiator that had a small leak, and I would have to put water in it now and then to keep the car from over heating. When I no longer had a car that needed to have a water refill all the time, I still kept the water in the trunk. I still do so even today, as well as other necessary items like brake fluid, power steering fluid, 3 qts of oil, radiator sealer, and coolant. One never knows when something will happen on the go, especially with an older car. So, I would rather be safe than sorry. Even though I have AAA, if the car needs to be towed, it can take them an hour or more to get to me on days that have a lot of accidents. So always having water with me is important.
Like = Luke
Absolutely, life saving.
I have been reading Sweden is experiencing wild fires, even above the arctic circle. Kind of odd.
We experienced unusually hot weather for the last month. Temps in the 90's to 100 with high humidity. It is now back to normal with temps in the 80's and humidity dropping significantly.
I spend a lot of time in Japan and I can't fathom 104 degrees in Toyko.
That temp does seem to be a real surprise. I've not been to Japan myself, but, my Brother was there at few various places and times during his career in the Navy, and he always said the weather there was always very pleasant.
I'm sure it's a dry heat.. everyone knows that is better, LOL!