The temperatures are big in Japan

Japan is currently in the grips of a heatwave that has swept right across the country. Two women have died from heat related illnesses and over 300 people were admitted to hospital with suspected heatstroke by late Saturday.

Much of Japan has been has been sweltering for two days now as the temperature topped 35 Celsius on Saturday and Sunday. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) have issue extreme temperature warnings with the hot weather expected to continue into the new working week.

Central Tokyo saw the temperature reach 33.1 Celsius on Sunday afternoon. This is a full 10 degrees above the seasonal average of 23 degrees. Not too far away, the highest temperature recorded was 36 degrees in Tatebayashi, located just to the north of the capital.

Meanwhile, other hot spots include Hita, Oita where the mercury hit 35.6 Celsius on Saturday, a record high for the month of May. Gujohachiman in Gifu Prefecture had a top temperature of 35.1 Celsius and Hiroshima, Kyoto, Fukushima and Samata prefectures all topping 34 degrees.

JMA explained that the heat comes courtesy of a large, slow moving area of high pressure, dragging hot south or southwesterly winds across the country. Temperatures are expected to ease back towards normal on Tuesday, followed by thundery showers by the end of the week.