Tokyo, Aug 2 (EFE).- Japan last month recorded its hottest July on record, according to the national meteorological agency, which has collected data for the 125 years since 1898.
The temperatures recorded in the Japanese archipelago reached 38 degrees Celsius in the second half of the month, and July’s average temperature was 1.91C higher than normal.
The unusually high temperatures were attributed to warm air currents from the south flowing in around the dominant high pressure system in the Pacific, due in part to the El Niño weather phenomenon, according to Japan’s authorities.
By region, the north of the country saw temperatures 2.8C higher than the average for July, while in the east of Japan they were 2C higher and in the west of the country, 1.1C higher.
Tokyo’s average temperature was up 3C and some areas around the capital reached new highs above 41C.
The meteorological authorities expect extreme heat to continue for one to two weeks, and recommend citizens take measures to protect themselves from these conditions.
Neighboring South Korea is also under a weather alert due to high temperatures, above 36C in some regions.
The authorities reported the deaths of at least 17 people during the past weekend due to the heatwave, most of them elderly citizens working outside despite the high temperatures. EFE
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