### Japan Records Hottest July Since Data Collection Began
Japan has recorded its hottest July this year since the beginning of data collection 126 years ago, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, as large parts of the world experience heatwaves fueled by climate change.
The country’s temperatures were 2.16 degrees Celsius above the average, surpassing the previous record for July set last year, which was 1.91 degrees Celsius above the average.
On Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that this figure “was the highest since statistics began in 1898,” noting that the temperatures were “significantly higher” nationwide.
Among 153 observation sites across Japan, 62 exceeded their previous highest recorded temperatures last month.
The agency attributed this to factors including a high-pressure system over the Pacific and “warm air from the south” reaching northern parts of the archipelago.
Since April, extreme heat has claimed the lives of 59 people in Japan, according to the Disaster Management Agency.
Last month, Shikokuzuo in western Tokyo became the first area in Japan to reach 40 degrees Celsius this year, far exceeding the 35-degree threshold that authorities classify as “extreme heat.”
The world is increasingly experiencing heatwaves, with the European Union’s climate monitoring body announcing in July that the Earth recorded its hottest day in history.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚