Japan’s Kumamoto records first-ever 40°C temperature as earthquake survivors remain in shelters
Temperatures in Japan’s Kumamoto city climbed to 40.3°C on Monday, marking the first time the southwestern Japan prefecture has recorded temperatures above 40 degrees, adding further hardship for residents affected by a powerful earthquake last Tuesday, Qazinform News Agency learned from JIJI Press.
Elsewhere in the prefecture, temperatures reached 40.2°C in Kikuchi City and 39.8°C in the town of Kosa.
Nearly a week after the earthquake, which reached level 7, the highest on Japan's seismic intensity scale, more than 8,500 people remain in evacuation shelters.
The Kumamoto prefectural government has begun procedures to relocate evacuees to hotels and other temporary accommodation. According to officials, all affected residents are eligible to move to the secondary evacuation facilities. Information leaflets were distributed at evacuation centers on Monday, with relocations expected to begin as early as Tuesday.
“We will make preparations so that evacuees can relocate as soon as possible,” Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura told reporters on Sunday.
Earlier, it was reported that a Japanese industrial equipment supplier is selling a walk-in cooling booth designed to help workers cool down quickly during periods of extreme heat, as businesses face growing pressure to prevent heat-related illnesses.
