The heat wave continued scorching Japan on Thursday, sending the temperature above 40 C (104 F) again after the searing heat claimed many lives last month.

The temperature rose to 40.2 C in the Gifu Prefecture city of Tajimi, known as one of the hottest cities in the country, while the mercury reached 39.8 C in the city of Mino in the same prefecture, and 39.6 C in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.

Japan logged its highest-ever temperature of 41.1 C in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Monday last week amid the prolonged heat.

Thursday's heat was caused by a foehn dry, warm, down-slope wind in central Japan, with temperatures expected to remain high on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that 57,534 people across Japan were taken to hospital due to suspected heatstroke or heat exhaustion over the three months through July 29, including 125 people who died.

Ninety-six people died of heatstroke in central Tokyo's 23 wards in July, nearly a fourfold increase from the same month last year, the Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday.