Japan witnesses warmest autumn on record, delaying foliage season
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TOKYO – Japan has recorded its warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago, delaying the country’s popular displays of seasonal foliage into December.
“This year was 1.97 deg C higher than usual… making it the hottest autumn since 1898, when statistics began,” the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website on Dec 2.
Between September and November, the temperature was 2.4 deg C higher than usual in Tokyo, 2.9 deg C more in the central city of Nagoya, and 1.2 deg C warmer in northern Sapporo city.
The weather has delayed the country’s autumn foliage season, when tourists flock to see leaves turn vibrant red and yellow.
In Kyoto, a railway company known for running trains through forests of illuminated maple trees at night has extended its schedule because leaf colours are not changing as quickly as usual.
According to the Japan Meteorological Corporation, the best time to see the autumn leaves in Tokyo is around Dec 5 and in Osaka on Dec 9, both later than usual.
Japan recorded its joint-hottest summer on record in 2024
The famous snowcap of Mount Fuji was absent for the longest recorded period in 2024, not appearing until early November, compared with the average of early October.
Australia has meanwhile sweltered through its warmest spring on record, the country’s weather bureau said on Dec 1, with temperatures 2.08 deg C above the average.
Australia’s previous hottest spring – running between September and November in the Southern Hemisphere – was recorded in 2020. AFP
