Temperatures soar across Japan amid concerns that face masks may cause heatstroke

Jun 10, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 10, 2020 (Japan Today) - Temperatures rose across Japan on Tuesday with the mercury topping 30 C at more than 300 locations, the weather agency said.

Out of 921 weather stations across Japan, 323 marked over 30 C, the most so far this year, while six of them saw the mercury top 35 C, the agency said.

Downtown Tokyo marked 31.0 C, the hottest so far this year, while the mercury reached 35.6 C in the city of Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture and above 35 C at three location in Shimane Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The mercury also hit 35.1 C in Yonago in Tottori Prefecture, as well as in the city of Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, according to the agency.

This year's highest temperature of 35.8 C was registered in Kurume in Fukuoka on Monday.

The high temperatures have also caused concerns about the danger of heatstroke caused by wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus. According to an NHK report, thermal imaging shows that without wearing a mask, the temperature of the mouth area is about 36 degrees. However, if you put a mask on, the temperature will rise to 40 degrees within one minute.

Typhoon Moves Away From Okinawa but Severe Weather Risks Remain

Large and powerful Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) has made landfall in central China and is moving northwest, bringing an end to the worst of the rain across Okinawa while leaving dangerous seas and strong winds in its wake. Forecasters are also warning that the system could trigger heavy rain in Hokkaido later this week after transitioning into an extratropical cyclone.

Typhoon No. 9 Travel Disruptions Continue on Some Okinawa Routes

Transport disruption from Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) continued on July 12, with airlines warning that some flights serving Okinawa’s outlying islands could still face delays, cancellations or conditional operations even after the storm moved away from the prefecture.

JAXA Successfully Lands Reusable Rocket Test Vehicle

JAXA successfully landed a small experimental vehicle for a reusable rocket on July 11, marking a step toward technology that could increase the frequency of space launches while helping reduce costs.

Bear Sightings Surge With 50 Cases in Iwate in One Week

A wave of bear sightings across Japan has forced the cancellation of traditional summer events, while one animal entered a home and came within inches of a sleeping resident's face.

Brutal Heat to Grip Japan as Heatstroke Risk Climbs

Japan is expected to remain under intense summer heat through next week as the Pacific high-pressure system continues to dominate the country, bringing widespread temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and increasing the risk of heatstroke.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Kawagoe Seeks Removal of Unauthorized Mosque

An unauthorized Islamic prayer hall has been built on land in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, where new construction is generally prohibited, prompting the city to order the landowner to remove the structure.

Three Men Arrested After Masks and Crowbars Found in Parking Lot

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of preparing to rob a home in Saitama City after police found new face masks and crowbars hidden in shrubbery at a coin-operated parking lot.

Empress Harvests Silk Cocoons at Imperial Palace

Empress Masako harvested wild silk cocoons at the Imperial Palace on July 9, continuing the long-standing sericulture tradition passed down through generations of empresses since the Meiji era.

Firefighter Arrested for Allegedly Tying Up 6-Year-Old Girl

A firefighter with the Toyonaka City Fire Department has been arrested on suspicion of confining his live-in partner's 6-year-old daughter at their home and causing her injury.

Temple Priest Killed in Ishikawa, Son Arrested After Confessing at Convenience Store

A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly stabbing his father, a temple priest in his 70s, to death at their home in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on July 8, before going to a convenience store and telling a clerk, "I stabbed my father."