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Hisako Ueno and Karan Deep Singh
TOKYO — Japan is experiencing one of its worst heat waves on record, raising concerns about potential power shortages amid rising demand, even as authorities suggested others keep their air conditioners running to avoid heat stroke.
In Tokyo on Saturday, temperatures rose above 95 degrees for the eighth straight day, a series the capital has experienced once since 1875, when record-keeping began. it surpassed the 104-degree mark on Friday, nearly breaking a record set just two years ago.
Several deaths have been attributed to heat, as well as an increase in the number of other people being treated for heat stroke and exhaustion. More than 4500 people with such symptoms have been taken to the hospital in ambulances in recent days, more than 4 times the number of the same was a year ago, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Most of those patients were 65 years of age or older. The elderly, who are vulnerable to excessive heat, make up a disproportionate percentage of japan’s aging population.
Authorities have been issuing daily heat alerts for a week, asking others to stay indoors as much as possible and use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. used scrupulously during the Covid pandemic, in many outdoor situations.
“I would like to ask other people to take off their masks when walking, jogging or cycling to work,” Seiji Kihara, the assistant secretary of cupboard, said on Friday.
Power corporations have warned that the heat wave will put pressure on the grid, there have been no outages since Saturday. Tohoku Electric Power Company, which serves six prefectures in northern Japan, said this week that it would be “extremely difficult” to maintain electric power. energy for all its customers. ” Please save as much energy as possible,” the company said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other officials suggested others keep the air conditioner on for their own safety, but decrease their other energy uses. Friday. ” It’s dark. “
Koike advised putting refrigerators at higher temperatures and turning off heated seats that are popular in Japan (“Under those circumstances, you can absolutely turn it off,” he said).
Japan is vulnerable to forced cuts in times of high demand because it relies heavily on liquefied natural gas, which is difficult to buy and more expensive since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Japan has shut down most of its nuclear plants since Fukushima collapsed in 2011 and shut down coal-fired power plants to reduce its carbon emissions.
Japan’s Economy Ministry said Friday that the heatwave is likely to subside soon, along with the strain on the power supply. “The heat is expected to be reduced next week and the demand for electric power will also be lower,” he said in a statement. declaration.
On Twitter, other people said they were looking for tactics to cope. Yoko Koguchi, a Tokyo politician, said her daughter’s wrestling education had been canceled due to the heat. for something delicious,” he said. I heard that an umbrella is effective, so we use a giant one. “
Others focused on urging others to take care of themselves. “You can’t handle heat with your endurance alone. No matter how difficult you are, you can lose your life,” said Kentaro Araki, a researcher at the Japan Meteorological Agency. “Please take every measure imaginable to protect your life. “
Hisako Ueno reported from Tokyo and Karan Deep Singh from Seoul.
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