Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - As temperatures rose nationwide on Monday and the rainy season ended in the Tokyo area earlier than it h...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - As temperatures rose nationwide on Monday and the rainy season ended in the Tokyo area earlier than it had since 1951, Japan prepared for a potential power shortage amid rising fuel prices.
The Japanese government issued a warning that the Monday heat wave, which is expected to bring record-breaking temperatures to the region, will put a pressure on electric power supply in the Tokyo area. Power savings were encouraged by officials, particularly in the afternoon.
Less than two weeks before an election for the upper chamber of parliament, rising electrical prices caused by rising gasoline costs as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine are making life difficult for Japanese consumers. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is already under pressure for its handling of rising consumer costs, could suffer from a power shortfall.
Yoshihiko Isozaki, deputy chief cabinet secretary, said at a news conference that "we encourage people to cut back on energy use to a reasonable extent, such as by turning off lights that are not in use, while also using air conditioners during particularly hot hours and exercising caution to avoid getting heat stroke."
According to forecasts made public on Sunday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), excess producing capacity in Tokyo and eight adjacent prefectures in eastern Japan would reach as low as 3.7 percent on Monday between 4:30 and 5 p.m. (0730-0800 GMT). The minimum deemed necessary for a reliable power supply is 3 percent.
As of 11 a.m., temperatures in Kiryu, a small town northeast of the capital, were 36.3°C, while those in downtown Tokyo reached 34.1°C (93.4°F).
The yearly rainy season had officially finished in much of Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday, the earliest point since data collection for that purpose began in 1951.
In Japan, the conclusion of the rainy season heralds the arrival of summer heat. When the rainy season in 2018 ended on June 29, an exceptionally hot summer with many heat waves that put hundreds in hospitals began.
