Around 18,600 people were hospitalized in Japan from July 20 to 26 due to heatstroke, and 45 of them died.

The number of victims increased by more than 7,700 compared to the previous week, becoming a record figure for 2026, said Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which also coordinates emergency services.

More than 710 of the hospitalized patients will need more than three weeks to be treated.

About 58 percent of the victims are persons over 65 years old.

In some regions of Japan, the air temperature has exceeded 40 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days since July 21.