The Japanese government has advised people in Tokyo and the surrounding areas to use less electricity on Monday, June 27, in preparation for a heatwave. The government encouraged people to turn off unnecessary lights for three hours starting at 15:00 Tokyo time while continuing to use air conditioning to prevent heatstroke. On the same date, local time, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry predicts “severe” demand for electricity. According to the ministry, the additional electricity generating capacity for Tokyo and eight nearby prefectures was expected to fall by 3.7 percent on Monday afternoon.

June marks the official start of summer in Japan when daily maximum temperatures typically fall below 30 degrees Celsius. Over the weekend, temperatures in central Tokyo rose above 35 degrees Celsius, while Isesaki, a city to the northwest of the capital, set a record at 40.2 degrees. The nation’s electricity supply has been limited ever since certain nuclear power reactors’ operations had to be paused in March due to an earthquake in Japan’s northeast. Authorities have also shut down a number of old fossil fuel plants to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions. These issues, and an increase in energy usage, have led to a power shortfall.