Japan on fire: heat records broken, dams dry

Japan continues to face the devastating effects of the climate crisis. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that 17 local temperature records were broken in a single day, in the context of a summer that equaled the record level observed in 2023. Extreme heat, lack of rainfall and meteorological anomalies are endangering agriculture, water resources and the balance of ecosystems in the archipelago, informs AFP.

• 40.3°C in Komatsu: a country under the pressure of heat waves

The highest level was reached in the city of Komatsu (Ishikawa region), where the temperature rose to 40.3°C, exceeding any previous value recorded there. In Toyama, also in central Japan, another record value was recorded at 39.8°C. In total, 15 localities reached temperatures between 35.7°C and 39.8°C, while the city of Tamba (Hyogo region) reported, at the end of July, an absolute maximum temperature of 41.2°C - the highest in the country's history.

• Underlying causes: global warming and unstable weather phenomena

Scientists confirm that human-induced climate change is intensifying heat waves, both in frequency and severity. Although Japanese meteorologists are reserved in drawing direct links between isolated heat episodes and the climate crisis, they admit that global warming is fueling unprecedented atmospheric instability. Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirms that Asia is the second fastest warming continent, right after Europe, since 1990.

• Dry dams, crops at risk

The consequences of this thermal imbalance are already visible. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has reported that several dams in the north of the country are almost empty due to low rainfall and persistent heat waves. Farmers are sounding the alarm: crops are at risk, and water shortages could also affect other vital sectors.

• Disordered seasons: Cherry blossoms no longer bloom normally

Climate change is also affecting natural phenomena considered symbolic in Japan. Cherry blossoms are blooming earlier or incompletely because autumns and winters are no longer cold enough to stimulate the flowering process. In 2024, the rainy season ended three weeks early in western Japan, amplifying the impact of the drought.

Another symbolic indicator of the climate crisis is the delay in the snow cover on Mount Fuji, Japan's natural emblem. In 2023, the snow fell only in early November - almost a month later than the multi-year average.

• Japan, a laboratory for the global climate future

The year 2024 marks not only a historically hot summer for Japan, but also a critical stage in the awareness of its vulnerability to climate change. With dried-up dams, compromised crops and disrupted natural phenomena, Japan is becoming a concrete example of the effects of global warming. The situation requires urgent and concerted measures, both at the national level and within the framework of international cooperation. The climate crisis is no longer a projection of the future - it is a present reality.