Number of people admitted to hospitals in Japan in June

The number of heatstroke sufferers transported to hospitals in Japan hit a new record high in June, at 15,657.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Fire and Disaster Management Agency compiled preliminary weekly figures on July 5th, compiled by the Mainichi Shimbun. Heatstroke records for the month of June go back as far as 2010 and the number this year was far above the previous record of 6,980 in 2011. The surge in the figure is likely due to the extreme heat that struck the Japanese archipelago in June.

17 of the 15,567 taken to hospitals were confirmed dead in June, a record high in June.

The number of people suffering from heatstroke who were sent to hospitals for the week up to July 3 was 14,353 -- about 3.2 times higher than the figure a week before, which was 4,551.

The agency urges people to hydrate and use air conditioners and fans to beat the unusually strong heat caused by the early end of the rainy season.