3 dead as high temperatures continue across Japan

every single one of these could have been avoidable if common sense was used

Schools making children stay out in the heat, especially for sport, are negligent. It's criminal.

Hokkaido Railway Co. canceled more than 100 train services Monday due to the risk of track distortion caused by the heat.

In May? Global warming is happening faster than even the scientists predicted.

 Around 10 of them were taken to hospital but none was in a serious condition,

That's not the point. It should not have reached a point where children are being hospitalised. Schools really have to take better care of their charges.

DaDude - The entire prefecture I live now, as rural as it may be, has air conditioners installed in every school. I would have thought progressive Tokyo would have done the same by now.

Is that so? And, do these same schools hold their sports carnivals in air conditioned classrooms?

Its 2019 in supposedly one of the most educated countries in the world. With the 3rd highest GDP in the world. How does this stuff happen?

They cancelled the family picnic at my daughters school last month because the principal was sick (so couldn't give the opening and closing speeches) but when it was 40 degrees last summer the same school didn't have a problem hosting the sports day in the blistering heat advising people to wear hats and drink water while jersey clad 3 year olds ran around a running course for 3 hours. FFS.

sensei258 - Sorry for her passing, but amazed that a woman in her 90s is working in the fields in the hot sun

Yeah, you'd think someone who has survived 90+ summers would be aware of the dangers of working in the hot sun. Every year it is the same thing. The temps get above 30' and people die. It just does not make sense, commonsense, that is!

Sorry for her passing, but amazed that a woman in her 90s is working in the fields in the hot sun

The 42 year old woman is a bit surprising.

And we haven't even gotten to june yet.

I think people underestimate the direct sun when they look at the temperature and think 30 degrees is still low.

Its 2019 in supposedly one of the most educated countries in the world. With the 3rd highest GDP in the world. How does this stuff happen?

Yeah, one would think this could easily be avoided. OTOH, although Japan has the 3rd highest GDP, it ranks 25-30th in terms of GDP per capita (better indicator of standard of living), so it's not too surprising.

This is gonna be a brutal summer.

Geez! It's not even that hot yet...

Everyone please be careful 30c+ is more dangerous than people realize. Over 32c is even more dangerous, especially if humidity is high.

Stay hydrated, move slower and stay in the shade as often as possible.

At or near 37c nobody should be outside unless absolutely necessary.

The hottest May day ever in my town and two more days in the top five. There were lots of sports events on on Sunday, my own kids included, but thankfully no news of anyone getting ill.

The termperatures here aren't that hot - however, your own personal condition may make the situation worse. The elderly lady in her late 80's may have been accustomed to the heat in the Summer and thought nothing of it, but perhaps she was feeling a bit poorly at the time, yet with her determination, still went out to labor. I would not make light about such a decision that she made, (I would probably have done the same), but would perhaps question why at 88 she was still working ? You only have to look around at the number of laborers within Construction sites here in Tokyo to see how many of them, are elderly - albeit they're either on Medical care duty of directing incoming construction traffic - but never-the-less, ... it does not seem like they have an easy retirement yet....

No carnivals out here, only festivals. Sounds like a blast where you are at

Playing the semantics game to cover for the fact that you made a mistake. Classic.

Do the sports festivals where you are happen inside?

Playing the semantics game to cover for the fact that you made a mistake. Classic.

Nope, no mistake that ALL schools in my prefecture have air conditioners and that practice happens in the gym on scorching hot days. Now tell me about these carnivals.

Well, It's a good thing we have "cool biz" in effect..........

Its 2019 in supposedly one of the most educated countries in the world. With the 3rd highest GDP in the world. How does this stuff happen?

This kind of thing seems to happen in almost all East Asian countries.

One thing I've noticed is that people tend not to check the weather forecast. They just assume that whatever the weather is today, that's what it will be like tomorrow.

RIP

Is that so? And, do these same schools hold their sports carnivals in air conditioned classrooms?

No carnivals out here, only festivals. Sounds like a blast where you are at!

The entire prefecture I live now, as rural as it may be, has air conditioners installed in every school. I would have thought progressive Tokyo would have done the same by now.

So much for common sense. Ever hear of water, shade, taking a break, listening to your body's feeling?