the news now
This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

Extreme Heatwaves Strike Italy, South Korea, and Japan

4 sources across 4 countries · Argentina · Indonesia · Italy · Japan

Who reported this

  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • NHK Japan · Centre · Public · Statutory corporation, reception-fee funded

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Severe heatwaves are impacting multiple countries across Europe and Asia, leading to emergency alerts and reported deaths. In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued red alerts for 27 major cities, marking the first time this year that all monitored urban centers have reached the maximum alert level. This fourth heatwave of the summer has seen temperatures approach 40 degrees Celsius, causing a 15 percent increase in emergency room visits and a 3 percent increase in mortality among people over 65. The extreme weather has triggered forest fires in Abruzzo and the Lecchese region, while causing significant agricultural losses, including a 70 percent reduction in honey production in Sardinia due to bee deaths. In South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung ordered a full mobilization of resources as Seoul approached a record high of 39.6 degrees Celsius. South Korean authorities reported that 2,221 people suffered heat related illnesses between May 15 and August 3, including approximately 19 deaths. The heat led to the cancellation of 10 Korea Baseball Organization games after spectators fainted. Meanwhile, in Japan, temperatures in Yatsushiro reached 39 degrees Celsius, with forecasts predicting temperatures near 40 degrees for wide areas of western and eastern Japan. In Tokyo, three lions died at the Tama Zoo and three others remain in critical condition.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
This coverage emphasized the government's emergency response and the protection of vulnerable residents and outdoor workers.
Centre
These reports focused on meteorological data, public health statistics, and specific local impacts like zoo animal deaths and forest fires.
Centre-right
This framing highlighted the broader implications of the climate crisis and the specific economic pressures on the construction and agriculture sectors.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.