Japan sets new record temperature of 41.8C

Japan logged a new heat record on Tuesday, with the mercury hitting 41.8C, the weather office said, warning temperatures may rise further still.

- 

Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as climate change creates ever more erratic weather patterns, and Japan is no exception.

The scorching temperature in the city of Isesaki on Tuesday surpassed the previous record seen in the western Hyogo region of 41.2C only last week.

Tokyo has also been struggling with extreme heat.

Inline Quotes:

"I’m really concerned about global warming, but when it comes to my daily life, I can’t live without turning on the air conditioner," office worker Mayomi Saito told AFP.

"I don’t really know what I should be doing, I’m just desperately getting through each day."

Japan’s summer last year was the joint hottest on record, equalling the level seen in 2023, followed by the warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago.

Last week in tourist hotspot Kyoto the mercury hit 40C, the first time any of its observation points -- the oldest opened in 1880, the newest in 2002 -- had seen such a high, authorities said.