The temperature rose slightly above the 37 C line Saturday on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, marking the highest temperature so far this year in Japan, a local weather observatory said.
The mercury peaked at 37.1 C in the eastern Hokkaido town of Ashoro, the highest this year in Japan, 37 C in the city of Kitami, and 36 C in Obihiro, the regional observatory said.
The prefectural capital Sapporo in western Hokkaido marked 31 C, prompting people in its landmark Odori Park to eat ice cream and children to bathe in a fountain. (AP)