Japan adds new category to heatstroke index due to dangerous heatwave
![Japan adds new category to heatstroke index due to dangerous heatwave](https://nextshark.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Japan-most-severe-index.jpg?width=1536&auto_optimize=medium&quality=85&blur=80)
![Japan adds new category to heatstroke index due to dangerous heatwave](https://nextshark.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Japan-most-severe-index.jpg?width=1536&auto_optimize=medium&quality=85)
![Bryan Ke](https://nextshark.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/profile.jpg?width=128&auto_optimize=medium&quality=85)
By Bryan Ke
To reduce deaths from heatstroke, Japan has added a fourth category, “most severe,” to its heatstroke index, alongside the existing categories of mild, moderate and severe.
The move comes in the same week that six people died from a heatwave with temperatures rising as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of Japan, five degrees higher than the level weather officials classify as “extremely hot.” A weather agency official described the severe heat to Agence France-Presse as “rather rare,” especially as it is occurring during the country’s rainy season, which typically runs from May to July.
Share this Article
Share this Article