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- Currently — July 6th, 2022
Currently — July 6th, 2022
The weather, currently.
Japan, whose early summer months are usually characterized by its annual rainy season, has just experienced some of the most extreme heat in the country’s recorded history.
In recent weeks, temperatures have reached and stayed above 95°F (35°Celsius) across eastern and central Japan.
The impacts of such are particularly felt by Japan’s older populations, who account for nearly 30 percent of the population and are more susceptible to heat-related health issues. Nearly 5,000 people have already been hospitalized just this summer so far, due to heat related health complications.
More than 550 records have been broken in this display of extreme weather. Major cities like Tokyo saw consistent temperatures of above 95°F for more than four days straight––marking the hottest days recorded in June ever.
The government, which has been attempting to mitigate power shortages since March, has instructed businesses and households to minimize their energy usage daily between the hours of 3 and 6pm, to try and minimize stress on the country’s power grid.
Other attempts at federal mitigation include a “power-saving” program, which awards participating households with points for decreasing their electric consumption, according to an article published by the Washington Post.
“The heat is expected to be reduced next week, and the power demand will also be less,” Japan’s Ministry of Economy said in a recent statement.
—Zaria Howell
What you need to know, currently.
We have a piece up today from Currently’s editorial fellow, Anna Abraham, on the survival and revitalization of Indigenous languages amid climate change.
“Many Indigenous and traditional languages across the world are deeply rooted in and connected to the environment,” Abraham writes. “Passed down from one generation to the next, often orally, this knowledge enables different ways of connecting to the land and nature. But as climate change intensifies, and ecosystems change as a result, Indigenous languages suffer losses.”