Mercury hits 39.5 C in Tokyo, all-time high

TOKYO, Japan - Pedestrians swelter under the scorching sun in Tokyo's posh Ginza district on July 20 as an unprecedented heat wave hit the metropolis, with the mercury climbing to an all-time high for the capital at 39.5 C shortly before 1 p.m., topping the previous record of 39.1 C recorded Aug. 3, 1994.