Heat Island - Japan
The whole island of Japan - down south from Okinawa to way up north to Hokkaido, the entire archipelago is moaning under a deadly heat averaging 33-35°C for days on. That's between 91+ to 95°F. Some areas like Kumagaya, Saitama, it often goes above 36-38°C or 97- to nearly 100°F.
On top of it all, some areas are flooded, buried and torn apart by landslides. Well, something is happening to the weather cycle.
Today, July 16, the weather bureau predicts an extensive high pressure to cover the Pacific coast of Eastern Japan and the whole of Western Japan - and, of course, a solid 35°C throughout the day.
The bureau warns on the risks of hyperthermia or commonly called Kakuran or heatstroke in basin areas in Saitama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Takamatsu and the city of Hita currently suffering from a heavy flood.
Hokkaido, the northernmost island of the archipelago, was no exception as the mercury registered 35.8°C 96.44°F in Honbetsu, July 13 -the day the citizens of Metropolitan Tokyo had it at 33.4°C or 92.12°F.
Heat brings rains along with it due to unstable atmospheric conditions pouring 50-80cm per hour. A home of forestry, Hita, Aichi was hit by one of those heavy raining spells and had a number of localities flooded with a large number of timbers afloat, damaging houses along the way.
Talking about heatstroke, a care house in Ageo, Saitama had an accident reported to the local health authorities of a mentally handicapped person left alone and in a parked car in the house's compound. His body temperature when found dead scaled 40°C - a pitiful incident, indeed.
Japan is supposed to be nearly out of its notorious rainy season - but not quite yet. Yes, something IS happening to the weather in Japan.(Nathan Shiga)
