Japan Suffers Exceptional Heat Wave
A child plays in the frog-shaped fountain in the late summer heat in Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Exceptional warmth has spread throughout Japan since the start of summer, culminating in weeks of nearly unbroken heat since the middle of July.
As of Sunday, Kyodo News, quoting government sources, told of adverse health effects including more than 52,000 heatstroke cases necessitating hospital care. At the same time, the death toll was said to be 168.
By early September, reports were calling the stubborn heat wave the worst since records began in 1898.
In Tokyo, the mean daily temperature since the start of summer has been 84.5 F, or 8.4 F above normal. For the last four weeks, the temperature departure has been about 10 F above normal.
Since July 17, only 8 out of 43 days have failed to reach 90 degrees as of Tuesday.
The hottest day, Aug. 17, had a high of 99 F in the sprawling capital city. Five other days topped out at 97 F, which is 11 F above the highest normal temperature, which coincides with mid-August.
Along with the heat, Tokyo has suffered from persistent drought, as rainfall for the summer has been only 35 percent of normal as of Tuesday. Rather than the 15.7 inches that normally falls, only 5.55 inches has been registered.
Japan's other major cities have also had abnormal warmth this summer.
The northern city of Sapporo has have an mean temperature 7.5 F above normal since the start of summer. For Osaka, the summer temperature departure has been 5.5 F above normal, and the average temperature in Nagasaki has worked out to 3.9 F above normal.
Relief from the heat in Tokyo and many other locations was occurring from the passing of the dissipating Tropical Cyclone Malou on Wednesday. Welcome rain will fall as well.
With the end of summer now looming, odds for any continued excessive heat will fade.
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| High | 100° | Wink, TX |
| Low | 29° | Mullan Pass, ID |
| Precip | 1.17" | Chapel Hill, NC |
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People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
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