The number of people who died of heatstroke after being hospitalized reached 118 nationwide between late May and Sunday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a preliminary report Tuesday.

Eighteen people died in the week from Aug. 2 to Sunday, the agency said.

A total of 28,020 people were taken to hospitals for heatstroke during the reporting period.

In July alone, 17,680 people were hospitalized, of whom 94 died. Both of those figures were the highest for the month since the agency started compiling comparable data in 2008.

Among those taken to hospitals, 3.8 percent exhibited severe symptoms, 35.7 percent showed moderate symptoms and 56.6 percent had mild symptoms.

By age, 47.6 percent were aged 65 or over. By location, Saitama Prefecture had the most fatalities at 15, followed by 10 in Aichi Prefecture.

The agency said the numbers, both in terms of hospitalizations and deaths, could grow depending on additional reports.