Japan is going through an extreme heatwave this summer. This Saturday in Tokyo, the temperature surpassed 95 degrees Fahrenheit for eight consecutive days. This has only happened once since 1875, when they started this record.
The heat wave also approached other cities in Japan. The temperature in Isesaki, a city in Gunma Prefecture, exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, breaking the record that was set only two years ago.
The heat has killed citizens. Many citizens were treated for heat stroke, and about 4,500 people were sent to the hospital by ambulance due to the heat. This number is over four times more than usual summer seasons, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency in Japan.
The majority of the patients are over 65 years old because seniors are vulnerable to the heat, and some old houses don’t have air conditioners in them.
The government has sent heat alerts every day for a week, strongly recommending people to stay indoors with their air conditioners on and use umbrellas to guard against the sunlight. It also urged people to avoid wearing facial masks while walking and biking outside.
Power companies are concerned that it would be hard to keep up the electricity for every customer because everyone is using the air conditioner. Tohoku Electric Power Company, which serves six prefectures in northern Japan also said to save as much electricity as possible for uses other than AC.
The prime minister and other officials have also urged people to use air conditioners, but reduce the amount of electricity used for other purposes.
Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, said that “Most of the lights in my office are off,” during a press conference on Friday.
Ms. Koike recommended people raise the temperature of refrigerators, and turn off the heated and washing modes of toilets which are common in Japan.
Japan is greatly concerned about its electricity when situations like this happen because they rely on natural gas. Japan has closed its majority of its nuclear power plants since the 311 (a huge earthquake that happened on March 11th in Japan) that happened in 2011, and it has also closed its coal-fired power plants to lessen its carbon emissions.
On Friday, Japan’s Ministry of Economy stated that the heat would most likely reduce next week, and so will the electricity demand.
On social media, people are finding ways to endure and cope with this heat wave. This includes Yoko Koguchi, a Tokyo politician whose daughter’s softball practice got canceled, so they were able to spend time in a bookstore and find something tasty.
The heat wave also approached other cities in Japan. The temperature in Isesaki, a city in Gunma Prefecture, exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, breaking the record that was set only two years ago.
The heat has killed citizens. Many citizens were treated for heat stroke, and about 4,500 people were sent to the hospital by ambulance due to the heat. This number is over four times more than usual summer seasons, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency in Japan.
The majority of the patients are over 65 years old because seniors are vulnerable to the heat, and some old houses don’t have air conditioners in them.
The government has sent heat alerts every day for a week, strongly recommending people to stay indoors with their air conditioners on and use umbrellas to guard against the sunlight. It also urged people to avoid wearing facial masks while walking and biking outside.
Power companies are concerned that it would be hard to keep up the electricity for every customer because everyone is using the air conditioner. Tohoku Electric Power Company, which serves six prefectures in northern Japan also said to save as much electricity as possible for uses other than AC.
The prime minister and other officials have also urged people to use air conditioners, but reduce the amount of electricity used for other purposes.
Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, said that “Most of the lights in my office are off,” during a press conference on Friday.
Ms. Koike recommended people raise the temperature of refrigerators, and turn off the heated and washing modes of toilets which are common in Japan.
Japan is greatly concerned about its electricity when situations like this happen because they rely on natural gas. Japan has closed its majority of its nuclear power plants since the 311 (a huge earthquake that happened on March 11th in Japan) that happened in 2011, and it has also closed its coal-fired power plants to lessen its carbon emissions.
On Friday, Japan’s Ministry of Economy stated that the heat would most likely reduce next week, and so will the electricity demand.
On social media, people are finding ways to endure and cope with this heat wave. This includes Yoko Koguchi, a Tokyo politician whose daughter’s softball practice got canceled, so they were able to spend time in a bookstore and find something tasty.