104º F/40.9º C average across country

Five octogenarian patients died after air conditioning units at the Fujikake Y&M Daiichi Hospital in Gifu City failed. While some patients were moved to the cooler second floor, others were left in the hot floors for a week.

Four of those who remained died between August 26 and 27, with the fifth dying on August 28. The recorded temperature in Gifu on the 26th was 36.2°C (97°F). The hospital reported they were using fans to cool the patients and that the deaths were from chronic illnesses. An investigation is being conducted on the suspicion of professional negligence.

Japan is suffering from a heatwave with the some of the highest temperatures on record. The heat killed 133 people in the month of July alone and sent thousands to hospital.

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Storm damage and high temperatures have left 1.3 million homes and businesses in the eastern United States without power since Friday. At least 23 people have been killed, some crushed by falling trees, others from heatstroke. From Illinois to Virginia, "Many Fourth of July celebrations were canceled as local governments confronted damage from the hurricane-force winds and high heat and drought conditions that made firework shows risky." There's an intense image comparison here at the NASA website, showing before/after satellite images that reveal massive blackouts in DC, Richmond, and other cities affected by the "derecho" storms. Read the rest