TOKYO — A severe early-summer heatwave in Japan has claimed at least four lives, all elderly, prompting urgent warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Temperatures have soared over 10°C above normal in some areas, with Kofu hitting 38.2°C and Tokyo reaching 34.8°C.

Over 150 locations have seen extreme heat above 35°C — a first for mid-June — due to an unusually early retreat of the baiu (rain) front and an expanding Pacific high-pressure system, experts say.

Tokyo hospitals treated over 200 people for heatstroke in two days, and the JMA warns that hotter days are ahead, with none of the 48 monitored cities rated “safe.” Advisories urge residents to stay indoors, use air conditioning, and check on the elderly. Cooling shelters are being opened as the intense heat is forecast to persist.