Tokyo residents save power amid record heatwave

STORY: Japan baked under scorching temperatures for a fourth successive day on Tuesday (June 28) with authorities warning power supplies remained tight.

Temperatures hit over 95 degrees Fahrenheit - or 35 degrees Celsius.

It’s the worst streak of hot weather in June since records began in 1875.

"It got hot suddenly and it's really tough. I usually keep the air conditioner below 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It's so hot that I don't even want to walk around outside. I feel really terrible."

"If there's a sudden power outage, we are going to have problems in our daily life. If it gets hotter than this, I think it will not just be a warning (of power shortage), but a serious alert that the power outage may happen for real."

And the heatwave isn’t about to break.

The Japan Meterological Agency forecast highs of almost 97 degree Fahrenheit later in the week.

Authorities have asked residents to conserve energy, warning of possible power cuts.

Offices at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building turned off lights and elevator services.

Electronics stores took similar steps, shutting off televisions and other goods on sales floors that would normally be kept on to lure buyers.

The reserve ratio on Tuesday evening is expected to fall below 5% in Tokyo and eight surrounding prefectures.

Reserve capacity below 3% risks power shortages and blackouts.

Heatstroke alerts have been issued in some parts of the country.

Cases of hospitalization rose, with emergency services saying 76 people were taken to hospital in Tokyo.

And many in the capital and elsewhere continued to flout government advice to reduce heatstroke risks by not wearing face masks outdoors.

The heatwave comes less than two weeks before a national election in which prices, including the cost of electricity, are among key issues according to voter opinion polls.