Three people died Friday after a heat wave swept across Japan, sending temperatures above 38 in many locations in the Kanto and Tokai regions Friday, police said.
According to police and fire officials, an 88-year-old man in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, was found collapsed in a field at 2 p.m. and died after being hospitalized.
A 60-year-old woman died about the same time after being found at a public housing lot in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture.
A 29-year-old man also died in Saitama Prefecture, according to local authorities.
In Tochigi Prefecture, eight high school girls fell ill while cheering for their school baseball team at a preliminary game of the national tournament.
The Tochigi students were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Their symptoms were minor, police said.
In Tenryu, Shizuoka Prefecture, the temperature reached 38.2, or 8.7 higher than average for this time of year, the Meteorological Agency said.
Other areas that marked high temperatures include Sakuma, Shizuoka Prefecture, with 38.1, Ushiku, Chiba Prefecture, with 37.9, Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, with 37.8, and Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, with 37.7.
The temperatures rose to 35 in central Tokyo, the hottest so far this summer. In Tokyo, 14 people fell ill and were hospitalized.
Temperatures were also high outside the Kanto and Tokai regions, with Hita, Oita Prefecture, marking 37, and in usually cool Sapporo, the mercury hit 30.
The heat wave stems from an area of high pressure above the Pacific Ocean, said the agency, adding that this is a temporary phenomenon and the rain front will soon be active again. The rainy season will continue for a while yet, it said.
In Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, lightening hit two working at a construction site at 5:40 p.m. One of them was seriously injured.