A heat wave continued to grip Japan on Friday, pushing the mercury above 40 C (104 F) for the second consecutive day in central Japan, after the meteorological agency called the deadly heat in July "abnormal."

The temperature soared to 40.3 C in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, while rising to 40.1 C and 39.9 C, respectively, in the cities of Mino and Tajimi in Gifu Prefecture. Tajimi logged 40.2 C the previous day.

Japan saw its highest ever temperature of 41.1 C in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, on July 23 amid the prolonged heat wave.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, a heat wave has scorched most of the continents in the Northern Hemisphere this summer, including Europe, Russia and North America.

The temperature in Death Valley in California reached 52 C in July, while Quriyat in Oman recorded the highest "low" temperature in a 24-hour period of 42.6 C on June 28.

The extreme heat has claimed many lives.

In Japan, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that high temperatures have killed 125 people over the three months through July 29, while 57,534 people were taken to hospital due to suspected heatstroke or heat exhaustion.

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.