Freezing Tokyo sees most ambulance calls for 80 years

@dango bong

Global warming is a scientific fact well proven and increased by human activities. Thé one who oppose that just see their own interests to not change from their comfort

Ask Polar Bears what their thoughts

A wave of cold is just part of the short time weather variation

Anyway in my town in Boso we have some minus 3 every year, it just went to minus 5 this year , not a big change

Hey, today is Friday.

Just call in sick, stay under the kotatsu and read a book....

As of Thursday night, the otherwise impressive Police Hospital (警察病院) in Nakano had literally cleared a 10cm path from the main bus stop the entrance. Around it was essentially a thick sheet of ice. It would be little surprise if the elderly, sick, and already injured were to fall. On the other hand, already close to getting help.

@dango bong: it’s “climate change,” not “global warming” and do people really need to explain the difference between climate and weather?

Cold temperatures is not the problem, it's the poor insulation of Japanese apartments. The majority of them have single-pane windows with slits around the frames. Walls are not insulated at all, leading to a huge energy loss in winter and summer.

Many calls to plumbers too.

They keep plugging this “coldest day in 48 years” thing, but it was only colder by less than one degree. It very often gets down to -2 or -3’C. It also snows at least once every winter. The snowfall the other day was only an average amount. I recall quite a few heavier falls.

Stop blaming the snow for people’s complacency and stupidity.

Be careful out there people a simple slip and fall can change your life. My wife slipped and fell a couple of years ago when the snow was like this, she broke her elbow and she's still having pain from it. But things could have been much worse.

nice photo

It's been below -10c up here in Hokkaido, and we got 44cm of snow yesterday. Business as usual. Haha.

In a big city icy and slippery conditions will lead to many falls and broken bones. No wonder the ambulance is busy.

Russian sightseers say it is warm like spring here in comaprison with their homeland.

Papi.

Depends on how severe the symptoms and fever are.

My GP has a few beds for treatments and will send serious cases via Ambulance to Hospital.

Many people still confuse the common cold with Influenza.

Yeah, the flu this year is killing kids, it's nothing to mess with.

@Kobe

Agreed. That is a beautiful photo.

Two things: 1) Japanese housing stock is a bad joke in general, with little to no insulation and only single pane windows, leading to tremendous heat loss in winter and cool air loss in summer; 2) Many roads and pavements haven't been salted or gritted, leading to an accumulation of huge patches of black ice that are causing many falls and crashes. Is there a national shortage of salt?

It’s because ambulance service is free. Charge ¥40,000 per ride and the unnecessary ones will decrease.

Most calls since ambulance service started in 1936? So I guess there were not many ambulances during the war?

Luckily Japanese ambulances go slowly at all times, despite the noise, so crashes on ice or snow will probably still be below the norm for road vehicles.

"this global warming is a serious problem" are you really that daft? Have your graduated Jr. High yet? Every action results in a reaction. You have something called Arctic Oscillation and the hotter temperatures also cause more evaporation of water into the atmosphere, hence heavy snowfalls.

Does the ambulance have snow tires????otherwise it could actually be CAUSING further accidents and mayhem.

The reason is only the global warming

Don’t know about Tokyo, but in Kansai life just goes on as ordinary, in the countryside. 40cm snow. But in the city, so many people fall over and idiots who ride bikes, or cars who follow too close.

my hospital has less regular patients, but most are people who fall down. Be careful, use lots of suntan.

because some fools dont understand that ice is slippery and going on bikes full speed, saw 3-4 crashes myself.

Warming in the Arctic has caused the northern jet stream to change path, this year bringing cold arctic air to Japan and the northeast of the North American continent. Meanwhile, Alaska is having relatively warm temperatures. I wonder if parts of mainland Eurasia are also experiencing a warm winter, due to the changed path of the jet stream.

It calls Global Freezing.

this global warming is a serious problem

Well some people really seem to like cold temperatures. Hope they can afford the energy bill.

...ruined by the two blokes in the forefront.

Calling an ambulance for influenza?

Global warming...a term made up by some folk who want to sell books.

Throughout the history of this planet, it has gone through many cycles of extreme temperatures. And we weren't here for 99.9% of that time. So what caused the changes then?

Climate change is what powderb said and that is the correct term to use. It is caused by many factors. Human behaviour being a part but not the whole reason.

this global warming is a serious problem