It’s so hot in Japan that the country invented a word for it, really. Deadly heat waves have transformed a major part of the world into a plot of a sci-fi movie where people are cooping up at homes and fighting for air conditioners at marts. Large parts of East Asia have been gripped in a deadly heat wave, bringing the hottest temperature on record in South Korea and complicating earthquake recovery efforts in Japan.The land of the rising sun experienced its first “cruelly hot day” toward the end of July, in a historic heat wave that caused multiple cities to be scorched with temperatures over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Tokyo’s average daily temperature that month was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which would feel like 110 degrees when accounting for humidity. The “cruelly hot day,” was introduced by Japan’s meteorological agency this year in anticipation of a sweltering summer. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s now so hot in Japan that the country invented a new word for it: “kokushobi.”
A deadly heatwave
Between July 20 and 26, some 18,600 people across Japan were hospitalised for heatstroke, with 45 of them pronounced dead on arrival
On the first day to receive this official designation, at least 260 people in Tokyo were taken to the hospital, as per local reports. Between July 20 and 26, some 18,600 people across Japan were hospitalised for heatstroke, with 45 of them pronounced dead on arrival, the country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.While temperatures have temporarily fallen, the overall heat hasn’t relented, as this Wednesday Japan’s Environment Ministry issued a heatstroke alert for most of western and southern Japan, per the Associated Press.Not just death, the heatwave has also complicated disaster relief measures in the country where temperatures have exceeded 100F since a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu on July 28. More than 40,000 households are still without water, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, and thousands of people remain at emergency shelters while others are sleeping in their cars for fear of further powerful tremors.“The sweltering temperatures are being driven in part by a series of heat domes, or areas of high pressure that lock in sunny skies and warmth. The reason so many areas of high pressure are locked in place is due to the shape of the jet stream. The band of air that blows from west to east around the northern hemisphere “creates and steers most of the weather we experience,” said Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Centre, to Wired.
Losing lions
Tama Zoological Park outside Tokyo said on Monday that three lions had died in less than a week from suspected heat-related causes.
Elsewhere in Japan, officials at the Tama Zoological Park outside Tokyo said on Monday that three lions had died in less than a week from suspected heat-related causes.According to the zoo, one of the lions, the three-year-old Mugi, began showing signs of appetite loss in mid-July and was unable to stand the day after the symptoms appeared. The zoo staff tried to cool her off by spraying her with water and providing her fluids with intravenous drips, but Mugi eventually died on July 28. The 11-year-old Ichigo died three days later, and 15-year-old Ruena two days after that.Four other lions who were ill are showing signs of recovery, the zoo said, with six others that have appeared to be in good health throughout the ordeal. Officials said 10 of the zoo’s 16 lions had shown signs of distress starting in mid-July, including decreased activity and loss of appetite, with some losing consciousness or the ability to stand.Experts say that along with the extreme temperatures, it’s the high humidity that makes it difficult for the lions to stay cool. Rather than sweating, they regulate their body temperature by panting, pushing hot moisture out of their airways.“Lions are more used to a dry heat environment,” Aaron Whitnall, a zookeeper in England who cares for 11 lions, told the New York Times, though he said it was too early to speculate on the exact cause of the lions’ deaths.During spells of extreme heat and humidity, zoos should give lions ample shade, deploy cooling pads, and mist them with water, Whitnall said. At his Big Cat Sanctuary in England, zookeepers gave the animals popsicles made with frozen animal blood to help them stay cool.The Tama Zoo has suspended its lion exhibit since last month, and hasn’t announced when it’ll reopen. The incident has put a focus on the importance of caring for animals during heatwaves as well.