TOKYO: Japan recorded its fifth consecutive "cruelly hot day" on Saturday (Jul 25), a new meteorological term devised this year to warn people of intense heat above 40°C, as officials issued heatstroke warnings in parts of the country. The streak marks the longest number of days in a row with blistering temperatures since records started in 2010, public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media reported. Six cities in central Japan, including in the Aichi and Gifu regions, surpassed the new threshold for "kokushobi", which translates to "cruelly hot day", according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Close to 11,000 people sought out emergency medical care in Japan between Jul 13 and 19, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Fourteen of those were pronounced dead upon arrival, the agency said, adding that the public must regard the extreme heat as a "disaster".