Japan experiences hottest July for 3rd consecutive year

Japan experienced its hottest July for the third year in a row, with many regions across the country seeing precipitation less than 10 percent of normal levels, severely impacting rice production, according to the country's weather agency.

The nationwide average temperature was the highest for July, or 2.89 degrees Celsius higher than usual, since comparable records began in 1898, toppling the previous record set in 2024 by 2.161 degrees Celsius, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said on Friday.

Weather officials said this year's deviation from normal is much larger than past figures, adding that the country faced "abnormally high" temperatures.

On July 30, a temperature of 41.2 degrees was recorded in Tamba City in the western prefecture of Hyogo, the highest ever observed in the country. On July 24, the mercury rose to nearly 40 degrees in some parts of the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.

Furthermore, there were 4,565 locations across Japan experienced temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, the highest number since comparable data began in 2010.

The rainfall in many parts of Japan in July was less than half the annual average. Rainfall in July on the Sea of Japan side of the northeastern Tohoku region and in the central Hokuriku region was the lowest since those statistics started binging recorded in 1946. These two regions recorded an amount of only 13 percent and 8 percent of their average precipitation, respectively.

In Tohoku region's Yamagata Prefecture, 26 out of 28 observation points recorded their lowest rainfall levels in history, while the rainfall in Wajima City of Hokuriku region's Ishikawa Prefecture was only 1 percent of the annual average.

According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Tourism on Friday, as of Thursday, 33 of reservoirs under the management of the ministry and other water resource agencies had water levels below the annual average, with one each in the prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi completely dry.

Many of the regions experiencing high temperatures and low rainfall are key rice-producing areas in Japan, which has adversely affected rice growth.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday established a special division for dealing with water shortage and high temperature, urging water conservation and discussing response strategies.

The JMA forecasts that high temperatures will continue in August, with most regions, except for southern areas like Okinawa, remaining above annual average.

Japan experiences hottest July for 3rd consecutive year

The combination of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket, about to lift off Sunday night, now stands ready at the launch pad, with final preparations for the crewed mission proceeding in an orderly manner.

The launch is scheduled for 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. At 12:08 (04:08 GMT), the launch sequence entered its final 11-hour phase.

Later Sunday afternoon, the mission personnel will load time-sensitive payloads into the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. The four sets of rotating platforms enclosing the spacecraft-rocket combination are expected to be opened gradually around 21:00 (13:00 GMT).

The Shenzhou-23 crew consists of Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, with Zhu serving as the commander. They are now in good physical and mental condition and are fully qualified for the mission, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office.

In the hours leading up to the launch, the crew will focus on final checks of their physical, psychological and technical readiness, as well as will review key flight procedures and contingency plans to ensure they are in optimal condition for their journey into space.

Based on the latest meteorological consultation, weather conditions at the launch site are favorable for liftoff, with a temperature of around 19 degrees Celsius, westerly winds at four to six meters per second, and no sandstorms or precipitation.

Meanwhile, a cargo package containing nine scientific experiment samples and devices — including rice seeds and liver cells — has already been installed aboard the spaceship.

At around 17:00 (0900 GMT) Saturday, the rocket completed the loading of its oxidizer and fuel. Currently, all systems — including the rocket, the spacecraft, the launch site, and the telemetry, tracking and command network — have entered pre-launch procedures.

"All participating test systems have completed final check and confirmation of equipment and key personnel. The rocket propellant filling work was carried out smoothly according to the scheduled timeline. The Tiangong space station combination is operating stably in orbit, with preparations for docking and crew rotation now complete. The Shenzhou-23 crew members are in good physical and mental condition and are fully qualified for the mission. Currently, the technical status of all systems is under control, and all indicators meet the mission requirements," said Jian Bin, staff member of China Manned Space Engineering Office.

Final preparations underway as Shenzhou-23 crewed mission set for liftoff