On Sunday, August 4, the city of Komatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture reached a record-breaking 40.3°C, the highest temperature ever recorded there. Toyama City also experienced its hottest day on record, with the thermometer hitting 39.8°C.

The JMA, which monitors over 900 locations nationwide, reported that 15 other cities and districts across Japan also recorded new highs between 35.7°C and 39.8°C in recent days. On July 30, Japan logged its highest-ever temperature of 41.2°C in western Hyogo Prefecture.

The summer heat has been intensified by an early end to the rainy season in western Japan, which concluded roughly three weeks earlier than usual — another unprecedented development, according to meteorologists.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism noted that reduced rainfall and prolonged heat have left reservoirs in northern Japan nearly depleted. Farmers across the country are growing increasingly worried about reduced crop yields due to water shortages and extreme temperatures.

Experts have also raised concerns about the impact on Japan’s natural icons. Warmer temperatures are causing cherry blossom trees to bloom earlier or sometimes incompletely, due to milder autumns and winters that fail to trigger normal flowering cycles.

Last year, the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji appeared later than ever — not until early November — compared to the usual early October, a delay attributed to the warming climate.

The JMA confirmed that June and July 2025 were the hottest such months since recordkeeping began in 1898. It has issued warnings for further “extreme heat” in the coming months.

Globally, rising temperatures are accelerating, though not uniformly. Europe has warmed the fastest since 1990, followed by Asia, according to data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign/2874630