It’s 38 in Tokyo today and it’s not even July yet. Yesterday set a new historic high temperature for June and today is hotter.
Keep your kids and your pets safe. Stay hydrated. Keep an eye on elderly neighbours. If you’re working outdoors or in construction be careful.
Climate change is the biggest existential threat humanity is facing, we should all advocate for our governments to take it seriously. We are not leaving our children a world fit to live in.
40 comments
Thank you for the kind reminder, and for your your message on climate change.
I believe in climate change, but I’m also interested to see what August temperatures are like this year. I feel that the seasons have kind of shifted too, and I wonder if the second half of August is gonna be on the cooler side this year…
Re: climate change; I’ll say this even though it’ll likely get downvoted to hell and/or deleted. We have many here at jlife (and in the world at large) who are on the “just mind your own business, politics is pointless, just do what’s best for you and your family” camp. Sadly, [insert “That’s not how any of this works” meme].
It’s the endless profit-seeking of capitalism that brought us to this point. And politics is the quickest, the most non-violent way we can start to reverse it – along with organizing.
If this system weren’t an absolute shitshow that’s only good for a select few at the top, even the LDP wouldn’t be peddling the lie of a New and Improved!!新資本主義 version of it.
I was very sure this was going to be an anecdote about why you should wear your seatbelt.
Really not regretting my decision to move to Northern Tohoku right now.
Remember to drink Ayran!
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I just told a friend back home yesterday: I find it absolutely terrifying that we’re at a point where we are more or less *dependent* on technology just to *survive* the weather. Because after going out yesterday for a ten minute walk, I started feeling dizzy and was sweating so hard that I was basically going blind from all the sweat running into my eyes. And sleep is impossible these days for me without aircon. I tried the open window, fan blowing, cool sheets, ice pack in neck, no blanket, mostly naked strategy for about a week – to no avail. I fell asleep in the office because I hardly got more than an hour or two of sleep at night this way. Finally gave in and am now running aircon all night long. If an earthquake or typhoon or system overload would knock out the electricity, I honestly have no idea what I would do and how long I could survive it. Seriously scary stuff.
As they say, it’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity.
Wet bulb temperature is the key measure.
“The theoretical limit to human survival for more than a few hours in the shade, even with unlimited water, is a wet-bulb temperature of 35 °C (95 °F) ”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature
The Japanese government has a nice website for tracking wet bulb temperature.
* Tokyo wet bulb temps:
https://www.wbgt.env.go.jp/en/graph_ref_td.php?region=03&prefecture=44&point=44132
Stay cool out there!
Regarding climate change, I think we are pretty much screwed.
I remember when 38 was considered dangerous growing up and my parents would scold me for playing soccer during recess back in Egypt in the early 2000s, now it’s normal for the summer to start in early April and taper off in October with temperatures usually hitting 40 something a couple of days in June or July, also let’s not forget when it snowed in 2013 in Cairo..imagine the pyramids covered in snow, but there is no such thing as climate change right?
Anyone remember fall last year? Yeah, me neither.
I feel this post so much. I’m from the UK so usually Japanese summers are bad enough without being this hot, this early. I have a 20 month old, so we are basically going to be playing in the pool, in the shade for the next 3 months. My husband has a job where he has to work outside on roofs a lot, so I’m worried about him getting heat stroke. He goes to Yamanashi a lot, so I’m hoping it’s slightly cooler there atm.
As much as I detest rainy season, I wouldn’t mind it making an appearance again over the next few weeks.
In Saitama now and the “real feel” temperature (according to Google) is 41°C. But right now humidity is around 34% in my area. I shudder to think what 60~100% humidity will feel like with the same high temperatures…..
>We are not leaving our children a world fit to live in.
That’s why I’m not leaving any children either.
Very happy to be moving to Hokkaido next month.
This summer is gonna be rough for sure.
With the humidity as well…
Time to buy a year supply of pocari
I love being in Sapporo. Very comfy here so far😍
I *do not* miss Tokyo weather (except the rain; I like rain).
I’m starting to convince my wife to move to Hokkaido. Before the housing prices start to rise in 10 years time when Kanto becomes uninhabitable desert.
Yeah… 32 or 33 I can handle. It’s hot and not pleasant, but I can be outside for an extended period of time as long as I’m hydrated and can rest in the shade now and then if exercising.
But once you get to 34, 35… that’s where all I can do when I go outside is think about getting back inside somewhere cooler. Part of my brain literally can’t function properly at those temps.
Seriously tempted to buy a place in Hokkaido (a) to spend the summers at for now and (b) to move permanently when I hit retirement age.
Tsuyu officially ended in southern Kyushu. That’s the earliest it’s done so since the 50s. Gonna be a hot hell of a summer.
ITS FUKIN HOT
28C here down in Kanagawa. I live next to the sea though but still.
Jesus and I thought it was unbearable here… AC still off as well. 😒
But yeah, strap in, folks. In 10 years you’ll be dreaming of the days it was only 35 degrees in June instead of 40+.
My only previous experience of Japanese summer was in Aomori, and that was bad enough. Now I live in Aichi-Ken. I hope I survive!
It looks like the rainy season is predicted to have finished out in Kanto and Tokai early this year too, so chances are it will be persistent heat for a while.
I’m on medicine for back problems right now that can make me more susceptible to heat and I’ve been trying my best to keep cool, but the fact it’s already this hot is stressful. I want an eternal ice block that never melts. 🙁
Shout out to all my warm weather, developing country people. Wearing jeans with reckless abandon
Hide you kids, hide yo wife, hide yo self, this heat is crazy
May 11, 2022, Daily Express headline:
*UK heatwave: Britain set for ‘hottest day of year’ in 25C scorcher*
Sigh.
I’m on my fifth sheet of those minty deodorant body wipes already… bloody hot
Cheers from Sapporo and welcome 🙂 20C right now here, cloudy …
Stay safe folks! You look great in hats
Also hope this means winter will be less ridiculous this year
Jeez, its 31 down here in Osaka, how is that even a thing?
Temps look like they will go down next week. So think of this as a ”mini heat wave season”. One of the many seasons of Japan.
Every summer will be cooler than the next summer. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Happy to no longer be living in the heart of a concrete jungle.
Those damn cows!
I’m sweating from places I didn’t know I could sweat from 😭
Storm has just begun rolling in though. Hopefully break the heat a bit.
Just a reminder that your yearly Intercontinental trip is twice your yearly carbon budget. Or 6 times for business.
dont forget your salts