Heatwave grips southwest Japan

Parts of Japan’s southwestern region of Kyushu saw a hot summer day on July 11, with the mercury hitting a record-tying 39.3 deg C in Dazaifu, a tourist spot in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Of the country’s 914 observation points, 43 recorded temperatures of 35 deg C or higher, meeting the Japan weather agency’s definition of an “extremely hot day.”

More than half of the observation points, or 491, recorded 30 deg C or higher.

People in Fukuoka and nearby Kumamoto Prefecture were advised to exercise caution against heatstroke.

The Japan Meteorological Agency expects scorching temperatures to hit western and eastern Japan toward July 18.

-Kyodo News