Tokyo warned of power crunch as Japan endures heatwave

A woman uses a portable electric fan while strolling down the street with her friends in Tokyo (AP)

The Japanese government has warned of possible power shortages in the Tokyo region, asking people to conserve energy as the country endures an unusually intense heatwave.

Weather officials have announced the earliest end to the annual summer rainy season since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1951.