8 die as heat wave engulfs Japan, mercury tops 40 C in Gifu

Eight people died and thousands were taken to hospitals on Wednesday as a heat wave continued to scorch wide areas of Japan, sending the temperature to top 40 C in the central prefecture of Gifu, the highest recorded in the country in nearly five years.The weather agency is warning of extremely high temperatures that are expected to continue through Thursday. The country has been having a heat spell following the rain disaster that devastated western Japan earlier in the month.On Wednesday, the temperature hit 40.7 C in the city of Tajimi in Gifu, while that in the city of Mino, also in Gif…READ FULL ARTICLE