Mercury Hits Highest Level for May in Japan

May 26, 2019

Tokyo- Sweltering heat struck many parts of Japan on Sunday due to a strong high-pressure system, with the mercury topping 39 degrees Celsius for the first time for the month of May in the country, in the town of Saroma in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

Temperatures surged particularly in the eastern part of Hokkaido mainly because a hot air mass flowed into areas near the prefecture from the west, according to the meteorological agency.

In Saroma, the mercury rose to as high as 39.5 degrees, the highest on record for the month for any observation point in Japan, the agency said.

The previous record high for May in Japan was 37.2 degrees, set in the city of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, eastern Japan, on May 13, 1993.

The reading of 39.5 degrees also represented an all-time high temperature recorded in Hokkaido for any month. It is also the first time for any location in the prefecture to register a temperature of 35 degrees or higher in the month of May.

On Sunday, temperatures climbed to 38.8 degrees in the Hokkaido city of Obihiro and the towns of Ikeda and Ashoro, also Hokkaido, rewriting all-time highs for the areas.

The mercury surged in areas other than Hokkaido as well. The agency issued high temperature warnings in wide areas and called for caution against heatstroke.

According to the agency, about 570 sites, or some 60 pct of all temperature observation points in the country, posted readings of 30 degrees or higher.

The day's maximum temperature came to 35.9 degrees in the city of Date in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima, 35.8 degrees in the town of Hatoyama in Saitama, 35.5 degrees in the town of Daigo in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, and 32.6 degrees in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.

Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, canceled operations of a number of trains, mainly those departing from and arriving at stations in the eastern part of Hokkaido, due to fears of rails being distorted by the strong heat wave. Jiji Press