As the nation prepares for a heatwave, the Japanese government has asked residents of Tokyo and the surrounding area to use less electricity on Monday. This afternoon local time, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry anticipates “extreme” demand for electricity.
It advised turning off superfluous lights while continuing to utilise air conditioning to prevent heatstroke. Authorities have been warning of a power shortage as the temperatures climb for weeks.
Over the weekend, the mercury climbed above 35 degrees Celsius in central Tokyo, while Isesaki, a city northwest of the capital, reached a record 40.2 degrees. The temperature in June was the highest ever for Japan.
Summer in Japan officially begins in June, when daily highs are normally below 30 degrees Celsius. In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry predicted that Tokyo and eight neighbouring prefectures’ extra electricity generating capacity would fall to 3.7 percent on Monday afternoon. For a reliable power supply, it considers a 3 percent buffer to be necessary.
From 15:00 Tokyo time (07:00 BST), the government advised people to turn off superfluous lights for three hours while “properly using air conditioning and hydrating during hot hours.”
The ministry stated that despite efforts to enhance supplies by electrical providers, the situation was “unpredictable” due to the rising temperatures. “The reserve margin will fall below the minimum necessary of 3 percent if there is a surge in demand and unexpected supply problems,” it said.
Since certain nuclear power reactors’ operations had to be suspended in March as a result of an earthquake in Japan’s northeast, the country has had a limited supply of electricity. In an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, officials have also shut down a number of outdated fossil fuel plants.
There is a power shortage as a result of these problems and a rise in electrical consumption. The Japanese government urged people and businesses to use less electricity during the summer earlier this month.
As of Sunday afternoon, 46 individuals had been admitted to hospitals in Tokyo for what is believed to be heatstroke, according to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
Additionally, it mentioned that a 94-year-old man in the adjacent city of Kawagoe was thought to have passed away from the illness.
The announcement follows a call from Australian officials for households in New South Wales, which includes Sydney, the nation’s largest metropolis, to turn off their lights in the face of an energy crisis. Late last week, restrictions on the Australian wholesale energy market were relaxed.