Health · 14 dead · ArchiveJapan's 'Cruelly Hot' Days: 40°C Heatwave, 14 Dead, 11,000 HospitalizedAired July 22, 2026 at 3:05 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Japan recorded its first kokushoubi of0:022026, a cruelly hot day above 40° C. The0:07city of Kuwana hit 40.5 and Sakuma0:10reached 40°. Nearly 11,000 people have0:13been hospitalized and 14 are dead.0:16More than 60% of the victims are0:17elderly, the most vulnerable in Japan's0:20aging society. The Japan Meteorological0:22Agency warns the worst may be ahead.0:25Forecasts show August temperatures0:26running 40 to 60% above normal with the0:29heat lingering into October at 40% above0:31average. Even Hokkaido in the north0:33could see August temperatures 40% warmer0:35than usual. The danger is not passing,0:37it is building. The cause is a rare and0:40dangerous weather setup. The Pacific0:42high pressure system and the Tibetan0:43high pressure system are overlapping0:45over Japan creating a powerful heat dome0:47that traps hot air at the surface.0:49Warmer sea surface temperatures 2 to 4°0:51above average are adding fuel to the0:53fire and El Niño combined with climate0:55change is making the pattern worse. Here0:57is the data at a glance. Kuwana and0:59Sakuma both breached the 40° mark. Sea1:02surface temperatures in the region are 21:04to 4° above average, which may also1:06intensify typhoon season. And the1:08outlook shows no relief. Above normal1:10heat is now projected through October.1:12Meteorologist Sietske Monaari of NHK1:14World explains the mechanism. The1:16Pacific high normally drifts east and1:18the Tibetan high sits over the mainland,1:20but when they overlap over Japan, they1:22lock in place trapping heat, blocking1:24rain, and pushing temperatures toward1:25record levels. Climate change then1:27raises the baseline making these extreme1:29events more likely and more severe. The1:31Japanese government has responded by1:33opening thousands of cooling shelters1:34across the country and relaxing1:36workplace dress codes to allow lighter1:38clothing. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru1:40Kihara urged the public to use air1:42conditioning without restraint. Tokyo1:44Governor Yuriko Koike has activated heat1:46stroke alert systems but with the Japan1:48Meteorological Agency warning of a1:50prolonged summer that could stretch into1:52October, millions remain at risk. The1:54heat is not letting up and the most1:56vulnerable are the ones paying the1:57highest price.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗