By RYOMA KOMIYAMA/ Staff Writer
October 2, 2023 at 14:51 JST
Pedestrians cross the Yodoyabashi bridge in Osaka in the lingering summer heat on Sept. 28. (Masaru Komiyaji)
Following record-breaking heat in July and August, Japan also continued to experience its hottest September on record, official data showed.
The average temperature in September was 24.91 degrees, the highest since recordkeeping began in 1898.
This is more than one degree higher than the previous record of 23.76 degrees in 2012, followed by 23.68 in 1999.
The heatwave was caused by “high-pressure systems from the Pacific Ocean, in addition to global warming,” according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The agency forecasts that temperatures will remain high in October. Japan already endured the hottest July and August on record this year.
The latest figure was based on data from 15 less urbanized locations across the country, including Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, and Hikone, Shiga Prefecture.
The JMA calculates the national average temperature based on data from those observation points. The Asahi Shimbun analyzed the data with support from the agency.
The summer heat continued until mid-September, when temperatures dropped briefly before rising again toward the end of the month.
Cities experienced even hotter temperatures, with the September average of 27.23 degrees in locations in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, surpassing the previous record of 26.36 degrees in 2007.
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