Japan records hottest July for the second year in a row
Image credit: pierre9x6
Japan has recorded its hottest July ever, with an average temperature of 26.2 °C (79.2 °F), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Japan has experienced its hottest July on record, surpassing the previous July record set in 2023. According to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the average temperature for July 2024 was 26.2 °C (79.2 °F), marking the highest since record-keeping began in 1898.
“Like last year, conditions have combined to produce record high temperatures, and we expect the heat to continue through August and beyond,” said Masayuki Hirai, head of the JMA’s climate information division’s forecast team.
The Asahi Shimbun analyzed temperatures at 15 benchmark stations across Japan, finding that the average July temperature has risen approximately 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) over the past 127 years.
Urban areas, more susceptible to the heat island effect, have seen an even more significant increase of about 2.4 °C (4.3 °F) over the same period.
JMA reported that the deviation from the average temperature between 1991 and 2020 was 2.2 °C (3.9 °F), surpassing last year’s difference of 1.9 °C (3.4 °F). Eastern Japan, in particular, experienced a temperature difference of 2.3 °C (4.1 °F) above average.
The extreme heat has led to new temperature records in various locations. On July 29, Sano in Tochigi Prefecture recorded 41.0 °C (105.8 °F), the second-highest temperature ever recorded in Japan.
JMA says that Japan experienced the hottest July since records began in 1898. The average temperature from 15 locations, where the impact of urbanization is relatively small, was 2.16℃ higher than the 1991-2020 average.
— Sayaka Mori (@sayakasofiamori) August 1, 2024
By city/location, Tokyo had a record-tying hottest July! pic.twitter.com/U8gjzBFkn0
Preliminary data from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency shows that 37 043 people were transported to hospitals nationwide due to suspected heatstroke between July 1 to 28, surpassing the figure for the same period last year.
The Meteorological Agency’s monthly report attributed the record temperatures to various factors: “In northern Japan, warm air from the south easily flowed in, while in eastern and western Japan, Okinawa, and Amami, strong Pacific high pressure brought warm air and intense sunlight, leading to record high temperatures in many areas.”
References:
1 Japan experienced its hottest July on record – The Japan Times – August 1, 2024
2 Japan blistered in hottest July on record for 2nd summer in a row – The Asahi Shimbun -August 1, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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