Temperatures remained high in eastern and western Japan on Sunday as a heat wave continued to grip much of the nation. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued an alert in certain areas of Japan following a string of extremely hot days and is advising people to take precautions against heatstroke.

On Saturday, temperatures reached their highest for the year in both Fukuoka and Tottori cities, topping 35 degrees. Furthermore, Hita in Oita Prefecture recorded 36 degrees. The mercury also surpassed 35 degrees in Osaka, Takamatsu, Fukui and Saitama Prefecture’s Kumagaya City. Tokyo, Nagoya and Hiroshima saw a maximum of 33 degrees on Saturday afternoon.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency and health ministry officials are advising people to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and keep cool by using air conditioning, especially at night. In Japan, many elderly people tend to leave the air conditioning off when they sleep, officials said.

In the week ending Friday, more than 1,800 people had been taken to hospitals nationwide to be treated for heatstroke, the agency said.

The agency urged people working outdoors in disaster-stricken areas of northern Kyushu following the heavy downpours to especially pay attention to signs of heat exhaustion.

Meanwhile, the rising temperatures are causing unstable atmospheric conditions. On Sunday, Akita Prefecture experienced record rainfall. The meteorological agency has issued an alert for the Tohoku region for sudden heavy rains which could cause flooding, as well as strong gusts.

© Japan Today