Japan on Friday continued to swelter under high temperatures, with the weather agency saying the previous day that the country logged its hottest July since records began in 1898 for the second consecutive year.

The average temperature in July was 2.16 C higher than the overall monthly average recorded between 1991 and 2020, with the mercury rising above 40 C in seven locations on some days during the month, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Thursday.

So far this year the country has recorded 3,509 instances of "extreme heat" of 35 C or higher among the 914 nationwide observation points, surpassing the previous peak of 3,127 seen in July 2018.

According to the agency, the country was hit by warm air due to the effects of a high-pressure system in the Pacific, experiencing sweltering temperatures particularly in early July and toward the end of the month.

On July 29, Sano, Tochigi Prefecture logged 41.0 C, as a number of locations throughout the country topped previous record highs.

In August 2020, the mercury hit a record high of 41.1 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, tying the all-time high logged in July 2018 in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture.

With the heat expected to continue in August, the public has been urged to take measures to prevent heat exhaustion such as using air conditioning and staying hydrated.

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