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At a Glance The coastal town of Saroma topped 103 degrees on Sunday.

That's the highest temperature at any observation point in Japan for the month of May. At least five people have died and nearly 600 have been hospitalized as a heat wave grips Japan.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, the temperature hit 103.1 degrees in the coastal town of Saroma on the island of Hokkaido, according to the Japan Times. The Meteorological Agency said that is the highest temperature at any observation point in Japan for the month of May. The temperature in Saroma climbed above 90 again Monday.

Fifty-three of the Meteorological Agency's 926 monitoring posts registered temperatures of 95 degrees or higher on Sunday. In 513 locations in the country, the mercury climbed above 86 degrees , Kyodo News reported. On Monday, 400 posts saw temperatures rise above 86 degrees.

On Sunday, a man died in Shimizu, Hokkaido, and another died in Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, because of the heat, Kyodo News reported. At least 575 people nationwide with symptoms of heatstroke have been taken to hospitals.

On Monday, a 42-year-old woman died in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture; an 88-year-old woman died in Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture; and a woman in her 90s was also found dead in a field in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture.

Also Monday, 24 junior high school students in western Tokyo complained of feeling sick while practicing for sports day. About 10 of them were taken to hospital but none was in a serious condition, police and other sources said.

Kyodo News reported that Hokkaido Railway Co. canceled more than 100 train services Monday because of the risk of track distortion caused by the heat.