By Abbas Nazil
Japan and South Korea experienced their hottest summers on record this year, their national weather agencies announced, as climate change continues to drive extreme and erratic weather patterns across the globe.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the country’s average temperature between June and August was 2.36 degrees Celsius above the standard value, making it the hottest summer since records began in 1898.
This year also marked the third consecutive summer of record-breaking high temperatures in Japan.
The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that South Korea’s average temperature over the same period reached 25.7 degrees Celsius, the highest since records began in 1973, surpassing the previous record of 25.6 degrees set just last year.
The extreme heat has had significant human impacts, particularly in Japan where the Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed that 84,521 people were hospitalised nationwide between May 1 and August 24 due to heat-related conditions.
This figure was slightly higher than the 83,414 people hospitalised during the same period last year.
In Tokyo, residents expressed frustration with the unbearable heat.
Masao Nakano, an 80-year-old marathon runner, recalled cooler summers in his youth when people could step outside, sprinkle water on the streets, and feel relief.
Describing the current situation as “crazy” and “man-made,” he blamed excessive use of air conditioners and power generation for worsening the climate crisis.
The effects of rising temperatures in Japan are also visible in the environment.
Experts note that cherry trees are blooming earlier or sometimes failing to blossom fully because autumns and winters are no longer cold enough to trigger flowering.
Last year, Mount Fuji’s famous snowcap appeared later than ever before, showing up in early November instead of the usual early October.
South Korea is also grappling with the consequences of extreme weather, particularly a prolonged drought that has devastated the eastern coastal city of Gangneung.
Authorities declared a state of national disaster in the city of 200,000 people after weeks without rainfall.
Water levels at the Obong reservoir, the city’s main water supply, fell below 15 percent, forcing officials to impose restrictions, including shutting off 75 percent of household water meters.
Scientists warn that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-caused climate change, but the pace of warming is uneven across the globe.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Europe has experienced the fastest warming per decade since 1990, followed closely by Asia.
The United Nations also recently warned that rising global temperatures are severely affecting workers’ health and productivity, with productivity levels dropping by two to three percent for every degree above 20 degrees Celsius.
The warnings from Japan and South Korea underscore the growing urgency of global climate action as the impacts of rising temperatures become increasingly severe for both human populations and the environment.