Photo/Illutration Pedestrians hold umbrellas to provide shade in Tokyo’s Shinbashi district on July 29. (Jin Nishioka)

Japan baked in searing heat on July 29, with forecasts of 39 degrees and warnings of possible heat stroke.

Residents in Yamanashi, Yamagata and Gifu prefectures were likely to feel the intense heat the most, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Clear skies nationwide meant temperatures exceeded 30 degrees at 403 locations by 9 a.m.

Officials urged people to put their health first, including seeking shade and using air conditioning during the worst of the day.

The JMA cited wind movements for the heat wave. It said the westerlies are moving further north than usual, making it easier for warm air from the south to smother the entire Japanese archipelago.

Additionally, a high-pressure system over the Pacific is overlapping with a strengthening Tibetan high-pressure system from the continental side, creating conditions for temperatures to rise. This is particularly true in areas with strong sunlight, as warm air descends from above.

There’s more bad news ahead: The JMA warns of extreme heat continuing over the next week, and temperatures remaining high nationwide until October.

Meanwhile, Typhoon No. 9 was expected to approach the Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo by the evening of July 29 and to pummel the area until July 31 as it slowed to a stall.

After that, the typhoon may move once more. If it continues northward, there is a risk that it may approach the Pacific side of Honshu, bringing storm-force winds and heavy rain to Kanto and nearby from Aug. 2.

“Due to high uncertainty, we want people to pay attention to the latest weather information,” a JMA representative said.

As of 10 a.m. on July 29, the typhoon was slowly moving northwest about 110 kilometers northeast of Chichijima island. The central atmospheric pressure was 980 hectopascals, with wind speeds of up to 108 kph near the center and gusts of 144 kph, the JMA said.

Officials warned mariners and residents of the Ogasawara islands to brace for gales, high waves accompanied by swells and possible landslides due to heavy rain until around July 31. 

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