The heat wave causes 80 deaths in Japan

Tokyo.- Japan's suffocating heat of humid heat has left 80 dead and has transported some 35,000 people to hospitals in the last three weeks, according to official figures released yesterday.

Finally, when temperatures far exceeded 35 degrees in the shadows in many places, it was the deadliest with 65 people killed, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. With temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius in the shade and humidity of more than 80%, several Japanese cities show a deadly combination, as it weakens the natural defenses.

"We record unprecedented heat in several regions." Motoaki Takekawa, an official of the Meteorological Agency, said at a press conference. This heat wave "is fatal and we consider it a natural disaster."

According to Fumiaki Fujibe, a researcher in the Department of Geography of the Tokyo Metropolitan University, the majority of deaths are elderly.

The authorities asked the population not to expose themselves to heat and to stay hydrated. The government even suggested extending the summer holidays.