Heatwave claims 13 lives in Japan last week

TOKYO - A total of 13 people died due to heatstroke last week in Japan, while 5,467 people were sent to hospital, Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.

Strong heatwaves scorched wide parts of Japan last week, with record high temperatures for July observed in several parts of the country.

On last Wednesday alone, the temperature jumped to over 35 degrees Celsius in 77 of Japan's 927 observation points, with 10 observation sites logging record highs for July, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The number of people hospitalized across Japan last week through Sunday was 2.1 times more than the previous week as Japan experienced intense heat, according to reports.