Japan braces for more heat after hottest July on record

People in Japanexperienced their hottest July on record this year, with officials warning of "severe heat" to hit northern and western regions of the country in August.

Average temperature in July was 2.89 degree Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 average for the same month, the nation's Meteorological agency said on Friday.

On July 30, Japan experienced its highest recorded temperature — 41.2C in the western region of Hyogo.

Early end to rainy season

For three years in a row, July has brought record-breaking heat to Japan, with the average monthly temperature reaching new heights in 2023, 2024, and now in 2025.

This July is the warmest since the Japan Meteorological Agency began recording data in 1898. 

The average temperature in July was up a record 2.89 degree Celcius from the 1991-2020 average for the monthImage: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP

The amount of rainfall to hit Japan's northern and western regions in July was lower than average. Moreover, the rainy season ended three weeks earlier than usual in western Japan, creating another unwanted record.

Heat affecting cherry blossoms

On Friday, the agency predicted more rainy and cloudy days in the first half of August, but said more sunny days are expected later this month, 

"Please pay attention to temperature forecasts and heatstroke warning alerts, and take appropriate measures to prevent heatstroke. In areas with less precipitation, please be careful to manage your water," the agency's press release warned.

The average temperature for the June  to August quarter is "likely to require the record, too," Yoshinori Oikawa, head of the weather agency's Center for Information on Climate Extremes said, as reported by Japan Times.

Experts have warned that Japan's famous cherry trees are bloomer earlier than usual or not blooming completely due to this shift in weather. The winters are not long or cold enough to trigger flowering. 

Edited by: Darko Janjevic