The number of people who were sent to a hospital for heatstroke in Japan from May to September came in at 97,578, the highest level for the five-month period since 2008 when the statistics began, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
The figure jumped by 6,111 from the same period last year as severe heat continued for a long time.
The number of heatstroke patients in June and July marked the second-highest for those months. The figure in September topped 10,000 for the first time for the month.
People age 65 and over accounted for 57.4% of the total number of heatstroke patients in the five months, at 55,966.
By place, heatstroke at one's residence accounted for 37,116, the highest figure, followed by on a road, at 18,576. Those who were confirmed dead immediately after being taken to a hospital stood at 120.
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