(MENAFN) Amid warnings of a tsunami triggered by an offshore earthquake near Russia, Japan endured sweltering heat on Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to unprecedented levels.

Citizens across the country grappled with extreme heat while emergency services handled mass evacuations due to the potential threat of massive waves.

In the city of Tamba, located in Hyogo Prefecture, a new national heat record of 41.2°C (106°F) was registered, according to a news agency, which cited information from the national meteorological authority.

The oppressive heat resulted in a significant number of heat stroke cases, affecting people throughout the nation.

At the same time, over two million individuals were relocated to safer areas after tsunami alerts were announced, the national Fire and Disaster Management Agency stated, according to a major Japanese broadcaster.

As of 2:15 p.m. (0515 GMT), officials reported that the town of Urakawa, located in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, issued urgent safety directives to 4,982 homes, impacting 10,463 coastal inhabitants.

Citizens were advised to evacuate to higher levels of buildings, sturdy structures, or move away from sloping areas.

In total, evacuation notifications were released to approximately 966,063 households, affecting more than two million residents spread across 219 towns and cities in 21 different prefectures.

Wakayama Prefecture recorded the highest number of evacuations, with 367,186 individuals ordered to relocate, followed by Hokkaido with 358,257, Kanagawa with 263,728, Fukushima with 243,942, and Shizuoka with 239,391 people under evacuation orders.

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