Six dead in Tokyo as Japan swelters in heatwave
Six people have died of heatstroke in Tokyo as Japan swelters under a rare rainy season heatwave, prompting authorities to issue a flurry of health warnings, Xinhua agency reports.
Over the weekend, the central Shizuoka region became the first in Japan to see the mercury reach 40 degrees Celsius this year, far surpassing the 35-degree threshold classified by weather officials as "extremely hot".
Such severe heat in the middle of Japan's rainy season is "rather rare", caused in part by a strong South Pacific high-pressure system, a weather agency official told AFP.
Temperatures also hit record highs near 40 degrees Celsius on Monday (Jul 8) at observation posts in Tokyo and in the southern Wakayama region, according to local media.
The past few days have seen authorities issue heatstroke alerts in much of the country, urging residents to avoid exercising outside and to use air conditioning.
