3-10-2023 (TOKYO) Japan has just witnessed its hottest September on record, with the average temperature for the month reaching a historic high since records began in 1898, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The average temperature in Japan for September exceeded the standard value by 2.66 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of a 1.51-degree increase in 2012. This marks the highest temperature for the month in 125 years, according to the JMA.
In September, 111 out of 153 monitoring locations across Japan reported record-high temperatures for the month. Japan had experienced its warmest July and second-hottest June on record earlier this year, as indicated by JMA data.
Regionally, northern and eastern Japan both saw temperatures higher than the average by 3.1 degrees, while western Japan recorded a 2.3-degree increase.
In central Tokyo, the average temperature for the month was 26.7 degrees, which was 0.5 degrees higher than the previous record of 26.2 degrees in 2012 and a significant 3.4 degrees above the average.
An official from the JMA described this phenomenon as “unbelievably rare,” particularly following the country’s scorching summer heat.
During the June-August period this year, Japan experienced an average temperature that exceeded the usual level by 1.76 degrees, surpassing the previous record of a 1.08-degree increase set in 2010. This made it the hottest summer in Japanese history since records began in 1898.
The JMA attributed the extremely high temperatures in September to meandering westerlies, which deviated more northward than normal. Simultaneously, a Pacific high-pressure system gained strength in eastern Japan. These weather patterns contributed to the unprecedented heat experienced throughout the country.
