In Tokyo's 23 wards, 195 people died of heatstroke in August, according to a preliminary report from the Medical Examiner's Office of the Tokyo metropolitan government. It was the highest figure for the month since the survey began in 2007.
About 90% (173 people) were 65 or older and either did not have an air conditioner or did not have it turned on, according to the report.
The death toll was an increase of 80 from the same month last year, when the previous record was set, the office said.
Of the 195 people, 21 were 90 or older, 70 were in their 80s, 69 in their 70s and 22 in their 60s.
The office said 184 people (94.4%) were found indoors, of which 165 (89 .7%) either did not have an air conditioner or did not have it turned on. Partly because there were many so-called tropical nights where the low temperature was 25 C or higher, as many as 57 people died during the nighttime (5 p.m.-5 a.m.).
In July, temperatures were lower than usual, and there were no heatstroke deaths in the 23 wards. After the rainy season ended for Tokyo on Aug. 1, however, the temperature rose rapidly. As the weather heated up, 14 people died Aug. 11, reaching a peak Aug. 17 with 32 deaths, the highest single-day figure due to heatstroke in the past 10 years.
In August, central Tokyo recorded 11 extremely hot days of 35 C or higher.
"The increase in the number of deaths may have been caused by extremely hot days and tropical nights that continued all of sudden while people had not yet gotten used to the heat," said an official at the Medical Examiner's Office.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, there will be many days in September when temperatures are higher than usual. Attention needs to continuously be paid regarding heatstroke.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
