Japan Designates Days Over 40 Degrees Celsius as 'Extreme Heat Days' Amid Rising Temperatures
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced today that days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius will officially be named 'Extreme Heat Days' (酷暑日), effective immediately. This marks the first expansion of high-temperature terminology in nearly 20 years since the addition of 'Intense Heat Days' (猛暑日) in 2007. The decision was made after a public online poll, where 'Extreme Heat Day' received the most votes, recognized for its intuitive and warning effect.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 14:53
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 15:01 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 17:42 (2h 40m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Dai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 17th) In response to the frequent extreme high temperatures in recent years, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced today that days with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius or higher will be officially named 'Extreme Heat Days' (酷暑日), effective immediately. This is the first expansion of high-temperature related terminology in nearly 20 years, following the addition of 'Intense Heat Days' (猛暑日) in 2007.
NHK reported that the current high-temperature classifications by the Meteorological Agency are 'Summer Day' for 25 degrees Celsius or higher, 'Midsummer Day' for 30 degrees or higher, and 'Intense Heat Day' for 35 degrees or higher. With global warming intensifying, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have significantly increased in recent years, prompting the Meteorological Agency to launch a naming campaign through public online voting.
Ultimately, among 13 candidate names, 'Extreme Heat Day' ranked first with approximately 203,000 votes, more than three times the votes of the second-place 'Super Intense Heat Day'. Other candidates included 'Severe Heat Day', 'Extreme Heat Day', 'Fierce Heat Day', 'Blazing Heat Day', 'Dramatic Heat Day', and 'Great Heat Day'.
Respondents to the questionnaire stated that 'Extreme Heat Day' is intuitive and has a warning effect, helping people quickly understand the risks of high temperatures.
Statistics show that since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1872, Japan experienced only three days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in about 120 years until 1990. However, after 1990, the number gradually increased, and has occurred annually since 2018. Last year, there were as many as nine days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, setting a new historical record, with Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, recording 41.8 degrees Celsius on August 5, 2025, breaking Japan's highest temperature record.
The naming also sparked heated discussions on social media, with over 470,000 questionnaires collected. In addition to the official candidate names, creative suggestions such as 'Stay-at-home Day', 'Sauna Day', and 'Scorching Day' also attracted attention.
Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Yasuyuki Kaneko, stated after a cabinet meeting that the purpose of designating 'Extreme Heat Day' is to more accurately convey life-threatening high-temperature conditions. In the future, they will cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen measures such as heatstroke prevention. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150417
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(Central News Agency reporter Dai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 17th) In response to the frequent extreme high temperatures in recent years, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced today that days with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius or higher will be officially named 'Extreme Heat Days' (酷暑日), effective immediately. This is the first expansion of high-temperature related terminology in nearly 20 years, following the addition of 'Intense Heat Days' (猛暑日) in 2007.
NHK reported that the current high-temperature classifications by the Meteorological Agency are 'Summer Day' for 25 degrees Celsius or higher, 'Midsummer Day' for 30 degrees or higher, and 'Intense Heat Day' for 35 degrees or higher. With global warming intensifying, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have significantly increased in recent years, prompting the Meteorological Agency to launch a naming campaign through public online voting.
Ultimately, among 13 candidate names, 'Extreme Heat Day' ranked first with approximately 203,000 votes, more than three times the votes of the second-place 'Super Intense Heat Day'. Other candidates included 'Severe Heat Day', 'Extreme Heat Day', 'Fierce Heat Day', 'Blazing Heat Day', 'Dramatic Heat Day', and 'Great Heat Day'.
Respondents to the questionnaire stated that 'Extreme Heat Day' is intuitive and has a warning effect, helping people quickly understand the risks of high temperatures.
Statistics show that since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1872, Japan experienced only three days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in about 120 years until 1990. However, after 1990, the number gradually increased, and has occurred annually since 2018. Last year, there were as many as nine days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, setting a new historical record, with Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, recording 41.8 degrees Celsius on August 5, 2025, breaking Japan's highest temperature record.
The naming also sparked heated discussions on social media, with over 470,000 questionnaires collected. In addition to the official candidate names, creative suggestions such as 'Stay-at-home Day', 'Sauna Day', and 'Scorching Day' also attracted attention.
Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Yasuyuki Kaneko, stated after a cabinet meeting that the purpose of designating 'Extreme Heat Day' is to more accurately convey life-threatening high-temperature conditions. In the future, they will cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen measures such as heatstroke prevention. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150417
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
FAQ
What is an 'Extreme Heat Day' (酷暑日)?
It refers to a day when the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius or higher.
Why was 'Extreme Heat Day' introduced?
It was introduced to respond to the frequent extreme high temperatures in recent years and to more accurately convey life-threatening high-temperature conditions.