Heat wave scorches Japan

Photo by. www.japantimes.co.jp TOKYO — A heat wave continued to scorch Japan on Monday, with some regions seeing temperatures hitting record highs for the year.

Temperatures topped 39 degrees Celcius in the western towns of Ibigawa and Tajimi in Gifu Prefecture. The mercury climbed above 38 degrees Celcius in eastern and central regions, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Of the agency’s 927 monitoring points, 186 logged 35 degrees Celcius or higher, it said.

Over 2,000 people were taken to hospitals for heat exhaustion or heatstroke and five of them died on Monday alone, the last day of a three-day weekend, according to a Kyodo News tally. On Sunday, two died and thousands were transported to hospitals.