Japan is facing a significant hot spell on Tuesday with temperatures expected to reach around 30°C across much of the country [2].
This weather pattern marks a sharp transition from extreme summer heat to widespread precipitation, potentially impacting travel and outdoor activities across several prefectures.
Weather forecasters from TBS NEWS DIG said the heat will be felt from Okinawa to Tohoku [2]. The most intense heat is expected in Fukushima, where the maximum temperature is forecast to hit 35°C [1]. "Fukushima is expected to rise to 35°C and is likely to be extremely hot," the forecaster said [1].
Other major cities will see high temperatures on Tuesday. Nagano and Matsue are both forecast to reach 31°C [9, 17]. Morioka, Niigata, Kanazawa, Nagoya, and Okayama are all expected to hit 30°C [6, 8, 10, 11, 14]. Meanwhile, Tokyo and Osaka are forecast to reach 29°C [12, 13], and Aomori and Sendai are also expected to hit 29°C [5, 7].
Northern regions will remain cooler. Kushiro is forecast to reach a maximum of 18°C [4], while Sapporo is expected to hit 17°C [3].
While Tuesday afternoon will remain sunny across a wide area, the weather will shift quickly. Rain is expected in parts of Kyushu on Tuesday night [18]. By Wednesday, the pattern changes significantly as weather fronts approach the archipelago.
Forecasters said that rain is expected across many areas of western Japan starting Wednesday morning [19]. The precipitation is then forecast to spread to eastern Japan, including the Tokai, Kanto-Koshin, and Hokuriku regions, on Wednesday afternoon [20]. "On Wednesday, umbrellas will likely be needed widely in western and eastern Japan," the forecaster said [3].
“Fukushima is expected to rise to 35°C and is likely to be extremely hot”
The rapid shift from a 35°C heat wave to widespread rain indicates a volatile atmospheric transition. This pattern, common during the approach of seasonal weather fronts in Japan, requires residents to prepare for both heat-related health risks and potential transportation disruptions caused by rain across the western and eastern regions.
