Since June 2022, Japan has been facing some of the highest temperatures they have seen since 1875, the beginning of their heatwave records. In Tokyo, there has been a five-day streak of temperatures above 95F, the longest ever documented. In the city of Isesaki, temperatures reached 104F, a record for June in Japan. Officials predict the heat will continue in the next few days.
There have been threats of a power shortage, so the government convinced people to conserve energy. However, they still advised citizens to use air conditioning to prevent heatstroke as there has been a rise in hospitalization due to weather-related causes, especially detrimental to the elderly. energy official Kaname Ogawa warned citizens, “[p]lease conserve electricity while using air conditioning appropriately to avoid heat stroke and turn off any unnecessary lights.” On Wednesday, emergency services reported around 76 people were taken to the hospital, part of 4,500 cases in the past week.
Heatwaves have become more pertinent because of human-induced climate change. Since the industrial era began, the world’s temperature has warmed about 1.1C and will continue to rise until emissions are cut. Businesses have tried to conserve energy by dimming lights down while raising the thermostat higher.
On Twitter, Japanese users shared their ideas about the absurd weather. “It’s too hot outside and just being out … means I’m in a self-sauna. I want to bathe in the water,” commented one. Another user says, “so hot that the fire alarm at our workplace got short-circuited.” Attached was a video of the sprinkler system going off at a plant shop.
June is supposed to be a rainy month for Japan, but the Japan Meteorological Agency announced the end of the rainy season in mid-June, ending 22 days before the predicted mid-July and the earliest since 1951.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61976937
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/03/1109607646/japan-is-suffering-a-blistering-heatwave-and-energy-crunch
There have been threats of a power shortage, so the government convinced people to conserve energy. However, they still advised citizens to use air conditioning to prevent heatstroke as there has been a rise in hospitalization due to weather-related causes, especially detrimental to the elderly. energy official Kaname Ogawa warned citizens, “[p]lease conserve electricity while using air conditioning appropriately to avoid heat stroke and turn off any unnecessary lights.” On Wednesday, emergency services reported around 76 people were taken to the hospital, part of 4,500 cases in the past week.
Heatwaves have become more pertinent because of human-induced climate change. Since the industrial era began, the world’s temperature has warmed about 1.1C and will continue to rise until emissions are cut. Businesses have tried to conserve energy by dimming lights down while raising the thermostat higher.
On Twitter, Japanese users shared their ideas about the absurd weather. “It’s too hot outside and just being out … means I’m in a self-sauna. I want to bathe in the water,” commented one. Another user says, “so hot that the fire alarm at our workplace got short-circuited.” Attached was a video of the sprinkler system going off at a plant shop.
June is supposed to be a rainy month for Japan, but the Japan Meteorological Agency announced the end of the rainy season in mid-June, ending 22 days before the predicted mid-July and the earliest since 1951.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61976937
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/03/1109607646/japan-is-suffering-a-blistering-heatwave-and-energy-crunch
