Shillong, July 31: As Japan battles scorching temperatures, the mercury has soared beyond 35 degrees Celsius in various regions of the country’s east and north, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

By 11:00 a.m., temperatures had already reached 37.7 degrees in Hatoyama town in Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo, 37.1 degrees in Date city in Fukushima prefecture, and 35.1 degrees in central Tokyo, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

IANS reported that officials have issued warnings about the extreme risk of heatstroke, particularly in Tokyo, Kyoto, and 17 other prefectures.

Adding to the weather woes, the JMA predicts unstable atmospheric conditions in northern and eastern Japan until Tuesday. This instability is due to a cold air mass colliding with rising temperatures during the daytime. The agency has cautioned against potential lightning, gusts, hail, and torrential rain in these regions.