As the nation prepares for a heatwave, the Japanese government has asked residents of Tokyo and the area around it to use less electricity on Monday.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry anticipates “severe” demand for electricity this afternoon, local time.
It advised turning off superfluous lights while continuing to utilize air conditioning to prevent heat stroke.
The threat of a power shortage as temperatures climb has been raised by officials for weeks.
Over the weekend, temperatures in central Tokyo exceeded 35°C, while Isesaki, a city northwest of the capital, reached a record 40.2°C. That was the warmest June temperature ever recorded in 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 neighboring 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.
In addition to “properly using air conditioning and hydration during hot hours,” the government advised people to switch off superfluous lights for three hours starting at 15:00 Tokyo time (07:00 BST).
The ministry stated that the situation was “unpredictable” as temperatures rise, despite the fact that electrical suppliers are attempting to enhance supply.
“The reserve margin will go below the minimum necessary of 3 percent,” it warned. “If there is a spike in demand and unexpected supply problems.”
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In an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, authorities have also shut down a number of outdated fossil fuel plants.
A power squeeze has been caused by 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.
