Extreme Weather

Highest temperature record broken twice within a week in Japan.

Chris Godwin

A new record temperature of 41.8°C was recorded in Isesaki on 5 August surpassing the record set 6 days earlier of 41.2°C in Tamba. The previous record was set in 2020.

It has been a record breaking summer in Japan with the country experiencing the warmest June and July with records dating back to 1889. In July, temperatures were 2.89°C above the 1991-2020 average. The temperature record first fell on 30 July in Kabairi district of the city of Tamba in western Honshu with a figure of 41.2°C. On the same day, 39 locations across Japan set new local temperature records, including Kyoto, which hit 40°C for the first time. Nearly one-third of the Japan Meteorological Agency’s weather stations recorded temperatures exceeding 35°C.

The most recent record high temperature in Japan was 41.8°C , recorded in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, on August 5, 2025. Earlier in the day at the same location, the record had been broken when the temperature reached 41.6°C .The previous day, The Japan Times, reported that 22 locations exceeded 35°C on 4 August, with 415 others surpassing 30°C, conditions typically seen in mid-summer.

The heat wave has had a significant impact including over 53,000 hospitalizations for heatstroke this summer with an emerging trend of children and young teenagers being affected. Authorities have issued heatstroke alerts for 44 of Japan’s 47 prefectures and urged residents to stay hydrated and use air conditioning. Concerns have been raised over rice crop damage due to high temperatures and low rainfall.

In broader terms over the last year there has been much debate within the country about disruptions to a variety of natural cycles and the impact of climate change including cherry trees blooming earlier or not at all due to insufficient cold in autumn and winter. Also the iconic snowcap on Mount Fuji was absent until 6 November in 2024; a new record for the latest first snowfall in 130 years of record-keeping, surpassing the previous record of 26 October set in 1955 and 2016.

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