By RYO OYAMA/ Staff Writer
February 21, 2024 at 17:42 JST
A woman uses a parasol to shield herself from the sun’s rays and avoid heatstroke. (Masaru Komiyaji)
Temperatures nationwide are expected to be higher than average again this summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s forecast announced on Feb. 20.
The JMA warned that if conditions that bring heat to the nation converge, the average temperatures between June and August will be even higher than last summer, which was the hottest on record.
“Hot days may become more frequent starting in April or May,” said Takafumi Umeda, who heads the JMA’s abnormal weather information center.
Umeda stressed that early steps to prevent heat stroke should be taken, such as test-running air conditioners before the heat arrives.
Several factors, including fewer typhoons, contributed to the record temperatures last summer.
This year, El Nino, which causes sea surface temperatures near the equator to rise, is expected to spread to the Indian Ocean, bringing warm air via southern high-pressure systems toward the Japanese archipelago.
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