More than 450 people in Tokyo were hospitalized in a single day for treatment of heat-related problems, a record number since data collection began 16 years ago, emergency services said Thursday.

The figure was released as Japan experiences a heatwave that has killed at least 14 people in the past week, according to AFP.

453 people were hospitalized due to heat-related problems on Wednesday, the highest number since data collection began in 2010, according to the Tokyo Fire Department. Emergency calls also reached their highest level since at least 1963.

A spokesman for the fire department told AFP: 'We urge people to drink enough water and use air conditioners.'

He explained that the number of patients rises with temperatures, with notable increases recorded on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Tokyo prefecture, home to about 14 million people, one person has died from the current heatwave, while four are in critical condition and 18 in serious condition.

American tourist Nick Estes, 35, who was visiting Tokyo's Asakusa district with his family, said the weather on Thursday was 'very hot'.

He told AFP: 'We plan our trips so we can spend some time in the subway to cool off, and look for small shops we can enter, maybe to buy a small souvenir that have air conditioning. We do everything we can to stay in cool places.'

He added: 'But especially with children, it's extremely difficult... I was here last summer and it seems hotter this year than last year.'

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency described the heatwave as a 'disaster' and announced on Wednesday that at least 14 deaths were recorded across the country last week, while 11,000 people needed emergency medical care.

A fast-food restaurant worker tries to cool a person by spraying water on his head during a severe heatwave in Tokyo on July 22, 2026 (Reuters)

'Disaster'

In Aichi prefecture (central), one of the areas hardest hit by the heatwave, 116 people were hospitalized on Wednesday, according to officials.

Warnings of the risk of heatstroke have been issued for most of the country, which has a population of about 125 million.

The disaster agency said: 'Temperatures have been rising since mid-July and extreme heat is expected to continue nationwide.'

It added that 'calling this extreme heat a disaster is not an exaggeration, as many people are being hospitalized or even dying from heatstroke.'

On Thursday, at least six regions recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more by afternoon, while temperatures rose to 39.9 degrees Celsius in three other locations.

Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture (central) was the hottest, with a temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius.

It was followed by Toyota City, home to the giant automaker, in neighboring Aichi prefecture, where the temperature reached 40.8 degrees Celsius, and Kuwana in Mie (40.7 degrees Celsius).

Japan's highest temperature ever recorded was on August 5, 2025, in Isesaki, north of Tokyo, reaching 41.8 degrees Celsius.

Japan introduced a new term this year for temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, 'kokushobi', which translates to 'extremely harsh hot day'.

The new term aims to draw more attention to heat warnings, although it does not trigger any official nationwide measures.

'The heat is increasing'

Scientists say that climate change caused by human activities is increasing the frequency and intensity of severe heatwaves in Japan and elsewhere.

Japan recorded its hottest summer ever last year.

Yesenia Guita, 47, visiting Japan from Los Angeles, said: 'You leave the hotel at 8:30 a.m.... It feels like noon. As the day goes on, it gets hotter and hotter.'

She added: 'Now I understand why they wear loose clothes and carry umbrellas all the time. It's extremely intense.'

Japanese student Nakoshama, 24, said: 'Since it's like this in mid-July, I don't know what will happen in August. I'm worried... I carry a large fully charged fan so I can turn it on anytime.'

A massive fire engulfs a forested area near Lège-Cap-Ferret and the Arcachon basin in the Gironde department of France amid worsening drought following a heatwave and water shortages in most of France on July 23, 2026 (Reuters)

'Violent wildfires in Europe'

Meanwhile, violent wildfires fueled by strong winds and high temperatures continue to sweep through several areas in southern Europe, particularly in Italy, Spain and France, where authorities on Thursday evacuated thousands more people from a tourist area.

The fires have killed three firefighters, two in France and one in Italy.

Data from the 'EFFIS' satellite system analyzed by AFP shows that so far this year ranks second in terms of area burned by wildfires in the European Union over the past two decades.

Forests are more prone to ignition due to severe drought affecting vegetation and soil for months, a drought exacerbated by the exceptional heatwaves that hit the continent in June and July.

An international team of scientists confirmed Thursday that human-induced climate change has exacerbated the severe drought in Europe and contributed to record temperatures.

In southwestern France, firefighters continue to battle two large fires, one of which has burned over 2,000 hectares north of the Arcachon basin in Gironde, a popular tourist area near Bordeaux. No human casualties have been reported so far.

Gironde authorities on Thursday evacuated at least 7,000 people as a precaution, bringing the total number of residents and tourists who had to leave their homes and accommodations to 12,000. The evacuation included six tourist campsites and a naturist residential complex north of Cap Ferret.

The other fire, which started in a field on Tuesday afternoon, is raging in the Var department in southeastern France, burning about 2,500 hectares and forcing about 400 people to evacuate.

Franck Graziano of the Var fire and rescue service said: 'The day is fraught with danger, as we expect temperatures to reach 45 degrees Celsius inland, with winds strengthening early in the afternoon to 60 kilometers per hour.'

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that more than 12,500 fires have broken out in the country since the beginning of the year, burning about 44,000 hectares, an area larger than that burned in 2022, when southwestern France experienced large-scale fires.

Nuñez was speaking from a fire station in Bordeaux after meeting the families of two firefighters killed on Tuesday while fighting a fire near the city's airport.

A civil protection team refreshes tourists with a water cannon at the Colosseum on a hot day in Rome on July 16, 2026 (EPA)

More than 40 degrees in Italy