3rd October 2023 – (Tokyo) Japan experienced its hottest September on record, with the average temperature for the month reaching an unprecedented high since 1898, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The average temperature in September exceeded the standard value by 2.66 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record increase of 1.51 degrees set in 2012 and marking the highest temperature anomaly in the past 125 years.
Data from the JMA revealed that 111 out of 153 monitoring locations across Japan observed record high temperatures for the month. This comes after the country had its warmest July and second-hottest June ever recorded.
In terms of regional variations, both northern and eastern Japan experienced temperatures that were 3.1 degrees higher than the average, while western Japan saw temperatures exceeding the norm by 2.3 degrees.
The average temperature in central Tokyo during September was 26.7 degrees, surpassing the previous highest temperature of 26.2 degrees recorded in 2012 by 0.5 degrees. This marked a significant deviation of 3.4 degrees from the average temperature.
A JMA official described the phenomenon as “unbelievably rare,” following the scorching summer heat experienced in the country.
Moreover, the June to August period this year also witnessed exceptionally high temperatures, with the average temperature surpassing the normal level by 1.76 degrees. This broke the previous record increase of 1.08 degrees set in 2010, making it the hottest summer in Japanese history since records began in 1898.
The JMA attributed the extreme temperatures in September to the deviation of meandering westerlies further northward than usual, coupled with the strengthening of a Pacific high-pressure system in eastern Japan.