Photo/Illutration A woman uses a parasol to shield herself from the sun’s rays and avoid heatstroke. (Masaru Komiyaji)

This summer is expected to be another scorcher, with higher than average temperatures nationwide from June to August, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on May 21.

Shotaro Tanaka, head of the JMA’s abnormal weather information center, called for “vigilant measures against heatstroke, as temperatures may spike during sunny periods during the rainy season, even before the peak of summer.”

There is a 50 to 70 percent chance that the average temperature will be higher than in a typical summer nationwide, mainly due to expected La Nina events.

In these stronger trade wind periods, sea surface temperatures near the equator off the coast of Peru become lower.

When they occur in the middle of summer, the northward expansion of high-pressure systems could become stronger, raising temperatures in Japan.

However, if the sea surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean rises, it may weaken the northward expansion of high-pressure systems and ease the heat in Japan.

Precipitation is expected to be at near normal levels or above normal in western Japan and the Okinawa Amami region and near normal in northern and eastern Japan.

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