Heat Wave Eases After 15 Deaths Nationwide, Peak in Tokyo's Power Demand

Japan’s heat wave eased today after 15 people died and electricity demand peaked during four days of temperatures topping 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).

The temperature in Tokyo’s Otemachi financial district rose to 33.1 Celsius at 11:32 a.m. local time, with today’s high forecast to hit 34 C, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., supplier to more than 28 million customers in the capital and surrounding prefectures, recorded peak intraday demand in the Tokyo area of 59,990 megawatts on July 23, the highest this year, according to the company.

Fifteen people died of heat exhaustion yesterday as temperatures exceeded 35 C at 152 observation points nationwide, the Yomiuri newspaper reported today. Two people died in water- related accidents while three others were missing, the report said.

Tajimi, in central Japan’s Gifu prefecture, today posted the nation’s highest temperature at 38 C as of 1:50 p.m., according to the meteorological agency.

To contact the reporters on this story: Yoshiaki Nohara in Tokyo at ynohara1@bloomberg.net;

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