Japan hit a new all-time high temperature on Tuesday, according to CNN reports, about a week after setting that record in a different part of the country.

What's happening?

On Tuesday, temperatures in the city of Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture reached 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit), and officials cautioned residents to stay inside if possible.

CNN indicated that Japan hit a record high for "the third year in a row," with "critically low levels of rainfall" on the northeastern coast. The conditions drew concerns about rice crops, which suffered and impacted food supplies following similar conditions in 2023.

However, heat-related illness has been an acute concern as temperatures continue to soar year-over-year. According to CNN, Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed that heat sent more than 53,000 people to hospitals in 2025 alone.

"Today is murderously hot. If it gets to 42 degrees, it would be hotter than my bath that I prepare at 40 degrees," auto worker Takeshi Ishikawa said of Tuesday's punishing weather.

Per CBS News, this July was already Japan's hottest ever since recordkeeping began in 1898, marking "average monthly temperature 2.89 degrees Celsius [37.2 degrees Fahrenheit] above the 1991-2020 average."

Why is Japan's highest recorded temperature so concerning?

For starters, the same exact thing happened just one week ago, when the highest-ever temperature recorded in Japan at the time was observed in the city of Tamba in Hyōgo Prefecture — 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit on July 30. 

Shattered heat records and other forms of extreme weather are not limited to Japan, either — globally, the summer of 2025 has broken records and wrought destruction worldwide.

Heatwaves are not only a form of extreme weather, they're deadlier than hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes combined. 

Study after study has demonstrated that sustained planetary warming is supercharging instances of extreme weather. Floods, wildfires, and tropical storms have always occurred, but hotter air and warmer seas intensify them, making them bigger, more destructive, and deadlier.

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In late July, ABC News covered oppressive heat affecting broad swaths of the United States, emphasizing the insidious risk it presents — even to the young and healthy.

"Extreme heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, with heat waves responsible for more deaths than other extreme weather events like tornadoes, flooding, or hurricanes, according to the National Weather Service," the outlet said.

A notable outbreak of heat-related illness occurred at two consecutive outdoor graduation ceremonies in New Jersey in June. In all, over 100 people required medical attention.

What's being done about it?

In Japan, officials pledged to provide assistance to farmers affected by drought, attempting to quell fears of another rice shortage.

Japanese officials have warned that August is likely to bring record-breaking heat, too.

Extreme weather is a global problem, and awareness of key climate issues is an important way to stay safe.

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