A brutal heatwave throughout Japan killed at least six people on Saturday and an additional two people on Sunday, according to data from
In some areas, the extremely high temperatures have reached up to 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.84 Fahrenheit), leaving around 2,000 people hospitalized due to heatstroke and exhaustion across the nation over the weekend.
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The six deaths on Saturday reportedly occurred in Toyama, Shizuoka, Tottori, Hiroshima, Oita, and Kumamoto prefectures, while the two people who died on Sunday were from Shiga and Saga prefectures, Japan Times reported.
The 3-day weekend for Japan’s Marine Day holiday is a time for Japanese people to enjoy the ocean or head to beaches.
The scorching heat also affected the ongoing relief operations for those areas ravaged by the recent floods and landslides as many victims of the heat are first responders and relief workers who were busy clearing the rubble.
Those who are still pursuing the rescue operations are now forced to take long and frequent breaks to avoid exhaustion and heatstroke.
According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, such high temperatures are expected to remain throughout the week. The agency issued a warning to the public to take safety measures to avoid the harmful effects of the heat wave.
Featured Image via YouTube / TOKYO MX
