A report released this month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that unless global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, Japan's summer of extreme weather may become the new normal.
The report's findings stand out from previous assessments by concluding that the goal of 2 degrees, agreed on in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, is not enough to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
Based on over 6,000 scientific studies and compiled by an international team of more than 80 climate scientists, the report details what may be in store for Japan: An increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, sea level rise that threatens cities, and damage to agricultural systems.