Japan has experienced its hottest summer on record after three sweltering months that saw thousands of “extreme heat” incidents, with meteorologists warning that unseasonably high temperatures will continue into autumn.
According to Kyodo News, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that the average temperature for June, July and August was 1.76 degrees Celsius higher than the average recorded from 1991 to 2020.
The agency said this summer was the hottest since comparable records were first kept in 1898, tying the record to be set in 2023. Japan has recorded 8,821 “extremely hot” events with temperatures of 35 degrees or higher so far this year, far surpassing the previous record of 6,692 set in 2023.
The heatwaves weren't limited to Japan: Large swaths of China experienced their hottest August on record, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The scorching heat has delayed the start of the new semester in several Chinese cities. State media reported on Tuesday that some schools and universities in Jiangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan provinces have postponed the start of the new semester until September 9 due to high temperatures.
The China Daily reported that Chongqing authorities had extended school closures for kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and at least 12 universities “to ensure the safety and health of teachers and students amid the extreme heat.”
Chongqing is notoriously hot in the summer, but in recent weeks, it and neighboring areas, including Sichuan province, have been experiencing unusually high temperatures. Red alerts for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, the highest level of China's three-tiered alert system, were issued for 12 consecutive days from late August to early September.
China is a major emitter of greenhouse gases that scientists say are causing global climate change.
Beijing has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060.
The country's meteorological bureau said in a statement on Sunday that eight provinces, regions and cities recorded their “highest average temperatures for the same period in August” since records began.
The affected areas include Shanghai as well as the provinces of Jiangsu, Hebei, Hainan, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong and the northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, according to the meteorological bureau.
Additionally, five states had their second-hottest August on record, and seven states had their third-hottest August on record.
“Over the past month, most parts of China have experienced a hotter-than-normal summer,” the meteorological bureau said in a statement.
Populous cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chongqing also recorded more “hot days” – days declared when temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius – than any other August since records began.
The onset of autumn is expected to ease the heat in many parts of the north, but “it is still too early to call it a complete end”, the weather service said.
Climate scientists have already predicted that global warming will make 2024 the hottest year in Earth's history.
July was the second warmest month since 1940, and only slightly cooler than July 2023, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
This summer, many parts of East Asia were hit by extreme heat.
According to the Japan Times, the JMA said, “Warm air tended to cover the entire country throughout the summer, and from July to August the Pacific high pressure system covered mainly western Japan, resulting in continuous clear skies and strong sunshine. As a result, average summer temperatures were very high across the country.”
In Japan, more than 70,000 people were rushed to the hospital with heatstroke between early July and late August, and consumption of air conditioners, sugary foods, and beverages also increased sharply.
Global warming is making extreme weather more frequent and intense, leading to a summer of extreme weather in China, from heat waves that hit much of the north and west to devastating floods in central and southern China.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
