It’s an unbearable heat, isn’t it?

Excuse

The articles on this blog are originally written in Japanese, and I am using an internet translation service to translate them into English for posting.

There is a possibility of errors in the translation. If that happens, I apologize.

Note: The original Japanese article is https://sf.njsun.org/?p=1509.



This summer in Japan, while some observation points recorded temperatures just below 40 degrees Celsius, there were regions approaching that mark. Global warming is being pointed out as a contributing factor, and compared to when I was a child, about 40 years ago, summers have been consistently hotter in recent years.




A few years ago in Japan, days with a maximum temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius became known as “extremely hot days.” However, if the trend of increasing summer temperatures continues, we might even see new terms coined for days when the maximum temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius or when the nighttime minimum temperature doesn’t fall below 30 degrees Celsius. It’s a bit scary to think about.

When I was a child, watching the weather forecast on TV, there was only information for Sapporo and Hakodate in Hokkaido. Even then, I remember that it was rare to have a day with a maximum temperature exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in Hokkaido. However, nowadays, it’s common to see places like Asahikawa, not just Sapporo and Hakodate, experiencing such high temperatures. It’s surprising to see that many areas in Hokkaido also have extremely hot days. Although this is not from this year’s data, there was a day in Hokkaido where the maximum temperature approached 40 degrees Celsius.




The increase in these high temperatures, and furthermore, the overall rise in maximum temperatures, may not be definitively attributed to the increase in carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases causing the greenhouse effect. However, it seems most plausible to attribute it to global warming caused by the increase in carbon dioxide emissions and the greenhouse effect.

I understand that venting my frustrations on a personal blog like this won’t change anything, but still, I couldn’t help but say, “This heat is unbearable.” Well, regardless of the reasons, the bottom line is that with summers like this, scorching hot days year after year, it becomes challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have to go outside even in the blistering heat due to work commitments. With such prolonged hot summers, just carrying out regular work puts me at risk of heatstroke and other work-related hazards.