Photo/Illutration Commuters use parasols to shield themselves from the scorching sun and rising heat near Tokyo’s Shinbashi Station before 9 a.m. on June 17. (Minako Yoshimoto)

Japan sweltered under intense heat on June 17 as warm air from the south blanketed the archipelago, driving temperatures to dangerous levels.

In Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, the mercury soared to 37.2 degrees just before 10:30 a.m., officially marking an “extremely hot weather day” defined by temperatures of 35 degrees or higher.

By 10 a.m., 210 locations across the country had already recorded temperatures reaching 30 degrees or higher, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Forecasters are predicting even higher temperatures in some areas later in the day, with highs of 36 degrees expected in parts of Saitama and Yamanashi prefectures.

Tokyo is forecast to hit 34 degrees, while Nagoya and Sendai may reach 35 degrees.

The JMA reports that a strong Pacific high-pressure system south of Japan is creating weather patterns typical of midsummer, leading to widespread clear skies and rapidly rising temperatures.

Authorities have issued heatstroke alerts for several prefectures, including Ibaraki, Chiba, Wakayama and Kagoshima.

In addition to the heat, the influx of warm, moist air is creating highly unstable atmospheric conditions.

Heavy thunderstorms and possible tornadoes are expected in western Japan before noon, and in eastern regions from the afternoon into the evening.

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