Sweltering temperatures, tsunami threats batter parts of Japan

ISTANBUL

Japan is sweltering with record high temperatures at 41.2 °C (106 °F) amid tsunami advisories triggered by an earthquake off Russia, Kyodo News reported, citing the national weather agency.

The country logged a record-high temperature in Tamba, in the Hyogo Prefecture.

The rising temperatures brought widespread heat strokes across the country.

Separately, all tsunami warnings in Japan were turned into advisories by late Wednesday, according to the NHK broadcaster. But residents were still cautioned to stay vigilant.

More than 2 million people were evacuated following the tsunami warnings as of 5 pm local time (0800GMT), according to the national Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Residents were urged to seek safety on higher floors, in sturdy buildings, or away from slopes.

Evacuation orders were issued to 966,063 households and more than 2 million people in 219 municipalities in 21 provinces.

The Wakayama prefecture received the most orders at 367,186 people, followed by Hokkaido at 358,257, Kanagawa at 263,728, Fukushima at 243,942 and Shizuoka at 239,391.

Japanese premier orders 'thorough measures'

The prime minister’s office said a tsunami warning was in effect as the government was trying to assess the situation and provide guidance for evacuations.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba instructed that thorough measures be taken at evacuation centers to prevent heatstroke, given the extremely hot conditions, according to a statement from his office.

Authorities have reported no damage due to the high waves.

Four whales were washed away along Japan’s coastline hours after tsunami waves struck some parts of the Pacific coast.

Separately, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant halted the release of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean and ordered workers to evacuate.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said a 60-centimeter (2-foot) tsunami was observed at Kuji Port in the Iwate province and the town of Hamanaka in Hokkaido, while Ishinomaki Port in the Miyagi province recorded 50-centimeter (1.64-foot) waves.

The Tohoku and Kanto regions also saw elevated wave activity, including a 30-centimeter (1-foot) surge at Yokohama Port.

Earlier in the day, smaller waves were observed along Hokkaido’s eastern coast, 30 centimeters at Hanasaki Port in Nemuro at 10.30 am, Hamanaka at 10.36 am and Kushiro Port at 10.42 am.

The tsunami waves have also hit air and land transport in some parts of the country.

Authorities closed runways, suspended flights at Sendai Airport in Japan's northeast, and some flights bound for the major coastal hub were rerouted, while railway services were also suspended in some areas.

The Kamchatka Peninsula has experienced massive earthquakes and tsunamis in the past but the latest was its strongest quake in modern history.

The 8.8 magnitude quake generated tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean region, according to the US Geological Survey.

The epicenter was located at a depth of 20.7 kilometers (12.8 miles) and was centered 119 kilometers east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it said.