Japan recorded its first "kokushobi" (cruelly hot day) with temperatures exceeding 40C in Gifu and Aichi prefectures, leading to new heat warnings. The rising heat has caused over 2,000 heatstroke deaths in 2024, impacted agriculture and sports, and prompted new "Cool Biz" clothing recommendations for office workers.
Japan's Meteorological Agency is experiencing ongoing issues with its "Weather Disaster Prevention Bulletin (Linear Rainband Immediate Prediction/Occurrence)" system since late May. This malfunction began shortly after the agency switched to a new disaster information system on May 28th, leading to speculation about a connection. The agency stated it is investigating the cause and its relation to the system change.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck southern Hokkaido, Japan, at 5:23am on April 27, 2026, at a depth of 83km. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued no tsunami warning but warned of increased landslide risks and high probability of similar quakes in the coming week. This follows a magnitude 5.0 earthquake hours earlier in the sea south of Hokkaido and a 7.7 quake off Iwate prefecture last Monday.
Japan's meteorological agency issued a special advisory warning of a slightly elevated risk of a magnitude 8 or stronger earthquake in the coming days following a 7.1 magnitude quake, with a 1% probability compared to the normal 0.1%. The warning came just days after Indonesia's BMKG issued similar alerts about the risk of a magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake hitting Bali, Sumba and the Flores Islands.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of an increased risk of a megaquake near the Chishima and Japan Trenches. While the probability remains low at 1 per cent, officials are urging residents to review earthquake preparedness measures.
A powerful earthquake with a revised magnitude of 7.7 struck the Pacific Ocean east of Japan's northeastern Tohoku Region, prompting tsunami warnings for coastal prefectures of Iwate, Aomori, Miyagi, and southern Hokkaido. Tsunami waves of 70 centimeters were recorded in Iwate Prefecture. No damage or injuries have been reported, and nuclear facilities in the region including Fukushima Daiichi and Onagawa plants showed no abnormalities.
