Japan records its first ‘cruelly hot day’ as cities swelter in 40-degree heat

Japan's Meteorological Agency coined a new term in April — 'kokushobi,' meaning 'cruelly hot day' — to describe temperatures above forty degrees Celsius. On Tuesday, the country officially recorded its first such day, with three central Japanese cities exceeding forty degrees: Gujo and Tajimi in Gifu prefecture, and Toyota in Aichi prefecture. Gujo hit exactly forty degrees; Toyota reached forty point one — both all-time records for those stations. The Guardian reports the designation was introduced to warn the public as these once-extreme temperatures become increasingly common.

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