The mercury topped 40 degrees for the second consecutive day in central Japan as the Meteorological Agency acknowledged that last month's deadly heat wave was "abnormal."
By 6:40 p.m., Nagoya had logged a high of 40.3 degrees along with Mino, Gifu Prefecture, while Tajimi, also in Gifu, had logged a high of 39.9. Tajimi hit 40.2 the previous day.
Amid last month's prolonged heat wave, the city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, set a new national record of 41.1 on July 23.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, most of the continents in the Northern Hemisphere have been scorched by heat waves this summer, including Europe, Russia and North America. The temperature in California's Death Valley reached 52 in July, while Quriyat in Oman recorded the highest "low" temperature in a 24-hour period of 42.6 on June 28. The extreme heat has claimed many lives.
In Japan, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that high temperatures killed 125 people over a three-month period through July 29, while 57,534 people were taken to hospitals after showing symptoms of heatstroke or heat exhaustion.
In Tokyo's 23 wards, heatstroke claimed 96 people in July, up nearly fourfold from the same month last year, the Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday.
