TOKYO: Japan and South Korea have endured their hottest summers since records began according to official weather agencies.
Japan’s average temperature between June and August reached 2.36 degrees Celsius above standard values marking the hottest summer since records started in 1898.
The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed this summer marked the third consecutive year of record high temperatures.
South Korea’s average temperature during the same period reached 25.7 degrees Celsius representing the highest reading since data collection began in 1973.
This broke the previous record of 25.6 degrees Celsius set just last year demonstrating accelerating temperature increases.
Japan’s scorching heat led to 84,521 people being hospitalised nationwide between May first and August twenty fourth this year.
Eighty year old Tokyo resident Masao Nakano expressed nostalgia for cooler times when simply sprinkling water outside created refreshing cool air.
“This is crazy. It’s all man-made, right? All the air-cons and power generation,“ Nakano commented while discussing how he adapted his exercise routine.
Twenty two year old businesswoman Miyu Fujita shared concerns about children being forced indoors during what should be outdoor play seasons.
Japan’s cherry trees now bloom earlier due to warmer climates while Mount Fuji’s snowcap appeared later than ever recorded last year.
South Korea faces a prolonged drought in Gangneung where water levels at the main reservoir dropped below 15 percent capacity.
Authorities declared a state of national disaster implementing water restrictions that shut off 75 percent of household meters.
Professor Kim Hae-dong from Keimyung University linked the extreme weather to weakening Arctic cold air caused by global warming.
“We forecast similar weather patterns to repeat next year,“ Professor Kim stated regarding ongoing climate change impacts.
Heatwaves have become more intense and frequent worldwide due to human-caused climate change according to scientific consensus.
Europe and Asia have experienced the fastest warming per decade since 1990 according to United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data.
The United Nations recently warned that rising temperatures seriously affect worker health and reduce productivity by two to three percent per degree above 20 degrees Celsius. – AFP
