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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Japan's rainy season carries hidden danger of heatstroke
The heat is expected to remain at its peak until around June 20 in many places. PHOTO: AFP A high pressure system raised temperatures across Japan on June 17 morning, causing intense summer-like heat despite the rainy season. The heat is expected to remain at its peak until around June 20 in many places, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. 'The rainy season carries a risk of heatstroke due to high humidity,' said Saitama Jikei Hospital deputy director Tsuyoshi Fujinaga, an expert on the condition. He warned that many people are not yet accustomed to the heat and tend to get careless about the danger during this season. From May to June 8, 3,833 people were taken to hospitals due to heatstroke, according to preliminary figures from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. That figure is higher than the 3,665 recorded during the same period last summer, which ended up seeing a total of 97,578 sent to hospitals for heatstroke between May and September, the highest since statistics began in 2008. The report showed that 27.8 per cent of heatstroke cases occurred at home, followed by 20.2 per cent on streets and 14.7 per cent on outdoor train platforms and in parking lots. This month, an 86-year-old woman in Koto Ward, Tokyo, was diagnosed with mild heatstroke after experiencing headaches and nausea while taking a nap in her living room. She had kept the windows closed all day due to rain but avoided using the air conditioner as 'It's not summer yet.' Mr Fujinaga said heatstroke in the rainy season is caused by high humidity, which makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate, resulting in the body retaining more heat. It is also important to be aware of hidden dehydration, in which the body loses water unnoticed, he said. High humidity keeps people from feeling thirsty, allowing them to dehydrate unnoticed and increase the risk of heatstroke. 'Heatstroke in the rainy season progresses gradually, and you hardly notice something is wrong,' he said. 'Don't let your guard down just because it's not summer yet.' THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Times
01-06-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
Japan looking to draft fire warning guidelines
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency is planning to introduce guidelines for municipalities to issue fire warnings to restrict its use by residents when risk gets higher due to dry conditions and strong winds. Such warnings are designed to prevent fire from occurring or spreading, but there are no nationwide standards. It is common for municipalities to use factors, such as the humidity level and maximum wind speed, for the issuance. Yet in many cases, the authorities don't issue them, since these weather conditions don't meet their criteria. Given that Japan has seen more wildfires because of careless handling of fire, the agency is looking to present approaches and procedures for the issuance under its panel by summer. When a fire warning is issued, fire activities including controlled burns and bonfires are restricted. Those who violate the rules are subject to a fine of up to ¥300,000 or detention. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, only six cities issued fire warnings in the five-year period until 2024. Even when a massive forest fire broke out in the city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture in February, the fire warning was not issued. On top of not meeting weather criteria, municipalities tend to be hesitant to issue a warning because limiting the use of fire could affect local agriculture and people's lives. Considering this, the agency aims to outline guidelines that municipalities can use to set wind speed and humidity standards based on local conditions as well as non-weather factors when making decisions. This way, they can issue warnings in a timely manner. The agency is also thinking about reviewing areas covered by the fire warning. Currently, it is designed to cover whole cities, villages and towns, but the agency is considering allowing municipalities to issue for specific areas within them. Efforts to inform residents and tourists will be strengthened as well. Translated by The Japan Times
Nahar Net
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Nahar Net
Wildfires in western Japan damage homes, force residents to evacuate
by Naharnet Newsdesk 24 March 2025, 15:47 Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the mountainous areas. The fires in the western towns of Okayama, Imabari and Aso broke out Sunday, quickly burning hundreds of hectares (acres). Six homes have been damaged in city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest. In Imabari, in the Ehime prefecture on the main island of Shikoku, the fire left a firefighter slightly injured. Firefighters and defense helicopters sprayed water but the blazes in the two prefectures had not been extinguished as of Monday afternoon. Experts blamed dry weather and dried-up fallen leaves on the ground in the forest as likely causes of the wildfires in Okayama and Imabari. A smaller fire was detected in the mountainous village of Aso in the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu earlier Sunday, but it was extinguished early Monday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. One person was injured slightly. Local media said the fire started while residents were burning trash. The fires came just weeks after extensive wildfires in the northern Japanese city of Ofunato left one person dead and damaged more than 200 houses and other buildings as the blaze burned 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres), nearly one-tenth of the land in the city.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Wildfires in Western Japan Damage Homes, Force Residents to Evacuate in at Least 2 Areas
Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the mountainous areas. The fires in the western towns of Okayama, Imabari and Aso broke out Sunday, quickly burning hundreds of hectares (acres). Six homes have been damaged in the city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest. In Imabari, in the Ehime prefecture on the main island of Shikoku, the fire left a firefighter slightly injured. Firefighters and defense helicopters sprayed water but the blazes in the two prefectures had not been extinguished as of Monday afternoon. Experts blamed dry weather and dried-up fallen leaves on the ground in the forest as likely causes of the wildfires in Okayama and Imabari. A smaller fire was detected in the mountainous village of Aso in the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu earlier Sunday, but it was extinguished early Monday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. One person was injured slightly. Local media said the fire started while residents were burning trash. The fires came just weeks after extensive wildfires in the northern Japanese city of Ofunato left one person dead and damaged more than 200 houses and other buildings as the blaze burned 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres), nearly one-tenth of the land in the city.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires in western Japan damage homes, force residents to evacuate in at least 2 areas
TOKYO (AP) — Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the mountainous areas. The fires in the western towns of Okayama, Imabari and Aso broke out Sunday, quickly burning hundreds of hectares (acres). Six homes have been damaged in city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest. In Imabari, in the Ehime prefecture on the main island of Shikoku, the fire left a firefighter slightly injured. Firefighters and defense helicopters sprayed water but the blazes in the two prefectures had not been extinguished as of Monday afternoon. Experts blamed dry weather and dried-up fallen leaves on the ground in the forest as likely causes of the wildfires in Okayama and Imabari. A smaller fire was detected in the mountainous village of Aso in the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu earlier Sunday, but it was extinguished early Monday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. One person was injured slightly. Local media said the fire started while residents were burning trash. The fires came just weeks after extensive wildfires in the northern Japanese city of Ofunato left one person dead and damaged more than 200 houses and other buildings as the blaze burned 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres), nearly one-tenth of the land in the city.
