Verifying with Data: Is it Really Hotter This Year? The Reality of Heatstroke Occurring Indoors

Good evening, everyone.

Every year, when this season arrives,
"It's so hooooot!"
"Was summer always this hot?"

have become your catchphrases, haven't they?
That's right.
Even without thinking too hard, we forget the heat of last year, tremble at the summer heat every year, and say, "Was it always this hot?"

And then we conclude, "This heat must be due to climate change..."

I don't mean to downplay the effects of climate change, but is it really getting hotter in terms of our actual experience compared to last year? Humans are creatures swayed by impressions. Looking at the data might reveal some surprising facts.

Since I wrote a feature article like this last year, I would like to take another look at it with the latest data added.

Now, for the time being, here is the trend of average temperatures in Tokyo for July and August.

Certainly, there are differences depending on the year, but when comparing these 150 years, the overall trend is definitely rising, isn't it...

I suppose if we time-traveled from 150 years ago, we would scream, "It's sooooo hooooot!!", but then again, we don't remember what it was like 150 years ago from personal experience, do we? If anyone remembers, please let me know.

So, when I made a graph starting from 1980,

it looks like this.

As I will mention later, although it was truly hot last year, the levels around 1995 were not that different from what they are now, were they?

In other words,if you were old enough to understand things 30 years agoyou should have experienced this level of heat, but I suspect we say "this is a first" every year.

I am the same. Every year I say, "Was it always this hot?"

However, average temperature is a questionable indicator of how it actually feels.

So, here is a graph counting the number of extremely hot days (maximum temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius) in Tokyo for July and August since 2000.

Look closely...

In last year's tally, it was still early August, so this figure is a first appearance, but surprisingly,the number of extremely hot days in August last year was 18days.

More than half of the month consisted of extremely hot days. As you can see, this is the first time in 25 years that it has reached this level.

Looking at this, we can clearly see that the number of extremely hot days has obviously increased over the last few years, and furthermore, 2025 was an unusually high number.

Furthermore, this page from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications also contains statistics on the number of people transported due to heatstroke.

Based on this, I created a graph starting from 2019.

Last year, there were as many as 100,000 transportations, which is at the highest level compared to the past.

The preliminary report for this year has already been released, but

Compared to last year, the number of transportations, especially in Tokyo, seems to be decreasing this year. (Though we won't know how it ends until it's over.)

Therefore, even looking at the data, 2025 was undoubtedly a truly intense heatwave.

A correct impression regarding this summer would be something like, "It's not as hot as last year so far," wouldn't it? Last year was just too crazy.

However, that doesn't mean you should underestimate the heat.

Air conditioning to save lives

By the way, is everyone staying cool this year?

Last year, the air conditioner in my house was broken.

I remember the doctor at the hospital being worried and suggesting things like "Why don't you evacuate to an Aeon mall?" or "Cool off at the community center..."—things that are impossible for a shut-in.

This year, I felt a sense of crisis that I might die, so I bought a new air conditioner around spring, and now I am able to stay in a cool room.

I did a great job surviving last year, too.

Of course, you also did a great job surviving.

Since August has only just begun, I don't know what will happen this year, but if it's on par with last year, there is still a possibility that a battle for survival will begin.

According to the aforementioned preliminary report from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in the statistics by location of occurrence, "residence" accounts for the highest ratio, at 42.8%.

It's not outside. People are being transported for heatstroke while inside their homes.

In terms of age ratio, the elderly account for 59.8%. On the other hand, the ratio of adults is also higher than I thought. Are you and your family using the air conditioner properly?

Everyone, please do not hesitate to use your air conditioning if you can, to protect your lives.

For those who cannot use air conditioning for some reason,

・Evacuate to a cool place during the day
・Soak your feet in water
・Cool your armpits and neck with ice packs
(I actually did the last two last year)

You can try these measures, but there are various variables such as your original physical strength and age, so please do not push yourself, and

prioritize your life...!!!

Because of the experience of surviving last year, I deeply felt how great air conditioning is and how painful the heat can be.

Let's manage to get through this year as well.
Thank you for reading until the end.

#YeKu #Essay #DataAnalysis #ExtremeHeatDay #AbnormalWeather #Trivia #MemoryBias #Column