Record high in Japan as heat wave grips the region
TOKYO — Japan recorded its highest temperature ever Monday as a deadly heat wave continued to grip a wide swath of the country and nearby South and North Korea.
The mercury hit 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) in Kumagaya, a city in Saitama prefecture about 65 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. That broke the previous record of 41.0 C in Ekawasaki on the island of Shikoku on Aug. 12, 2013.
Two lingering high pressure systems have trapped warm and humid air above the region, bringing record-high temperatures for nearly two weeks. More than 40 people have died in Japan and about 10 in South Korea.
“It is so hot these days that I cannot figure out whether I am in (South Korea) or in Southeast Asia,” said Kim Sung-hee, a student in downtown Seoul, where the temperature rose to 35.7 C (96 F).