Multiple Deaths in Japan... Another 'Adverse Factor' Following COVID-19

On the 11th (local time), when temperatures in some parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, a beach near Fujisawa, close to Tokyo, was crowded with people. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] As Japan continues to experience record-breaking heatwaves, deaths from heatstroke are occurring one after another.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on the 17th (local time), the temperature in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, reached 41.1 degrees Celsius at 12:10 PM. This matches the highest temperature ever recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which was 41.1 degrees Celsius in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, on July 23, 2018.

Hamamatsu City had already recorded this year's highest temperature of 40.9 degrees Celsius on the previous day (16th), but the record was broken within a day.

Meanwhile, this is the third time this summer that temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have been observed in Japan.

Additionally, Tokyo Metropolis, Shinshiro City in Aichi Prefecture, Kozagawa Town in Wakayama Prefecture, and Nishimera Village in Miyazaki Prefecture also recorded high temperatures ranging from 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.

As the heatwave continues day after day, deaths from heatstroke are also increasing. According to Japan's NHK broadcasting, as of August, a total of 53 heatstroke deaths have been recorded in Tokyo Metropolis.