The Japanese government has advised people in Tokyo and the surrounding areas to use less electricity on Monday, June 27. It also encouraged turning off unnecessary lights while continuing to use air conditioning for three hours starting at 15:00 Tokyo time to prevent heatstroke. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry predicts “severe” demand for electricity on that date, local time. June marks the official start of summer in Japan, when daily maximum temperatures typically fall below 30 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in central Tokyo rose above 35 degrees Celsius over the weekend, while in Isesaki, a city to the northwest of the capital, had a record of 40.2 degrees. The nation’s electricity supply has been limited ever since some nuclear power reactors’ activities had to be paused in March due to an earthquake in Japan’s northeast. Authorities have also shut down several old fossil fuel plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. These issues, and an increase in energy usage, have led to a power shortfall.