It was the hottest July on record

If you keenly keep an eye on news sites, you may have read that for the third year in a row, Japan broke its own record for average temperatures in July. At this point it feels like climate change is a bit of an overachiever (not in a good way, either). 

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, last month came in at 2.89°C higher than the 30-year average, which is the largest jump since records began in 1898. Since June also set a new high, experts are saying this whole summer could be the hottest on record, and to top it off, northern regions like Tohoku and Hokuriku saw record-low rainfall in July. So it's not just hot, it's dry too.

I think it's important to remember that aside from just being uncomfortable to deal with this heat, it can also have some pretty significant effects on household budgets. Utilities are a big one. Air conditioning is no longer just a comfort but a necessity for most of the summer, and electricity bills are starting to reflect that. If you're living in older housing without good insulation (mine is definitely in this category), then the impact can be even more noticeable.

There's also the rising cost of food. Extreme heat and not enough rain can seriously impact agriculture, which may lead to higher prices at the supermarket. We've seen it over the last couple of years with things like rice and cabbage, and I think this is going to continue with other stuff, too.