Tokyo reports most heat-related hospitalisations since 2010, one dead
Tokyo reports most heat-related hospitalisations since 2010, one dead
Tokyo recorded 453 heat-related hospitalisations on Wednesday – the highest daily total since records began in 2010. Emergency services also logged their busiest day in 63 years.
Authorities said one person died, four were in a critical condition and 18 were seriously ill in Tokyo prefecture, home to around 14 million people.
Temperatures exceeded 40°C in four locations across Japan. The country has introduced the term kokushobi, meaning ‘cruelly hot day’, to highlight the dangers of extreme heat.
Heatstroke alerts were in place across most of the country. Nearly 11,000 people sought emergency medical care in the past week, with 14 pronounced dead on arrival.
Officials urged people to stay hydrated and use air conditioning, warning that the severe heat is expected to continue nationwide and should be regarded as a ‘disaster’.
