Japan records first extremely hot day of 2026

Temperatures surged across many parts of Japan on Monday, 18 May, exceeding 35°C for the first time this year, marking the third-earliest ‘very hot day’ on record, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Both Hita in Oita Prefecture, southwest Japan, and Toyooka in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, recorded 35.3°C, the highest temperature of the year, the JMA said. Meanwhile, Miyazu in Kyoto Prefecture logged 34.6°C. The JMA warned that hot weather was expected to continue on Tuesday, 19 May, and urged the public to be cautious of heat-related illnesses. A ‘very hot day’ in Japan refers to a day when the temperature reaches or exceeds 35°C. Such an early occurrence of extreme heat has occurred only twice before, in 1993 on 13 May and in 2023 on 17 May.