Local media reported that Japan’s average temperature this year is likely to hit a record high for the second consecutive year.
The average temperature through Nov was 1.64 degrees Celsius warmer than the annual average for the 30 years until 2020, hitting the highest level since the country’s weather agency started releasing data in 1898, Kyodo News reported, citing preliminary figures released by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
“It can be said that temperatures were abnormally high,” a JMA official said.
According to the agency, the high temperatures were caused by warm air brought in by westerlies that travelled further north than usual and the effects of global warming.
The report said Japan’s temperatures have kept rising in recent years, with the five years between 2019 and 2023 dominating the top five hottest years.
The average surface temperature of the seas around Japan was also 1.46 degrees Celsius higher than the annual average as of late Nov, surpassing a record high marked in 2023 since comparable data became available in 1908.– NNN-NHK