Red leaves to admire until December, due to higher than usual mercury: Japan experienced the hottest autumn since systematic temperature records began 126 years ago, announced the National Weather Agency. “This year’s temperature was 1.97 degrees Celsius above normal, making it the warmest autumn since 1898, when statistics began,” the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said on Monday. ) on its website.
According to her, a wave of hot air explains the particularly mild temperatures between September and November throughout the archipelago: the mercury was higher than normal by 2.4 degrees in Tokyo, 2.9 degrees in Nagoya (center) and 1.2 degrees in Sapporo (north). As a result, the time to admire the vibrant colors of red and gold autumn foliage – a popular Japanese pastime and a major tourist attraction in the country – has been delayed and is still in full swing in early December.
In Kyoto (south), a company known for its trains running among glowing maple trees in autumn extended its operating period because the colors of the leaves were not changing as quickly as in previous years. According to the Japan Meteorological Corporation, the best time to admire autumn leaves will be around December 5 in Tokyo and December 9 in Osaka, later than usual. Japan had already recorded the hottest summer in its history this year, along with many regions across the globe, hit by extreme heat waves fueled by climate change.
Mount Fuji’s famous snow cap disappeared for the longest period on record, with snow only reappearing at its summit on November 6, a month later than usual on average.
