Japan braces for power crunch as soaring temperatures lash Tokyo

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Japan braces for power crunch as soaring temperatures lash Tokyo

TOKYO Reuters- Japan braced for a possible power crunch on Monday as temperatures climbed across the country and the rainy season ended in the Tokyo area at its earliest point since 1951 and raised fears of a long hot summer amid fuel price rises.

The Japanese government warned that electric power supplies in the Tokyo area will be strained on Monday because of the scorching heat that batters the area with record temperatures. In the afternoon, officials called for power conservation.

Electric prices are soaring because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, making life hard for Japanese consumers less than two weeks before an election for the upper house of parliament. A power shortage could affect the fortunes of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party LDP, which is already under fire for how it handled higher consumer prices.

People should cut back on energy use to a reasonable degree, such as turning off lights that aren't being used, and using air conditioners during particularly hot hours, and exercising caution so not to get heat stroke, said Yoshihiko Isozaki, deputy chief cabinet secretary.

According to estimates released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry METI, excess generating capacity will drop to as low as 3.7% from 4: 30 to 5 p.m. on Monday, and will drop to as low as 3.7% in Tokyo and eight nearby prefectures in eastern Japan. A level of 3% is considered the minimum required for a stable power supply.

As of 11 a.m. temperatures in downtown Tokyo had hit 34.1 C 93.4 F and those in Kiryu, slightly northeast of the capital, were at 36.3 C.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said on Monday that the annual rainy season had ended in much of Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, the earliest point since recordkeeping of that data began in 1951.

The end of the rainy season signals the advent of summer heat in Japan. In 2018, the rainy season ended on June 29 ushering in an extremely hot summer with several heat waves that hospitalized thousands.