Photo/Illutration Pedestrians walk at an intersection under clear skies in Tokyo's Ginza district on July 18. (Wataru Sekita)

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on July 18 that the rainy season has likely ended in the Kanto-Koshin, Hokuriku and southern Tohoku regions, slightly earlier than usual.

This is one day earlier than average for the Kanto-Koshin region, five days earlier for the Hokuriku region and six days earlier for the southern Tohoku region.

Westerly winds flowed more northerly than usual and the Pacific high pressure system strengthened over the Japanese archipelago, pushing the rainy season front to the north earlier this summer. 

This trend in the pressure pattern resulted in an earlier end to the rainy season nationwide. The only area where the end of the rainy season has not yet been announced is the northern Tohoku region.

According to the JMA, the average temperature nationwide in June was 2.34 degrees higher than normal, the hottest since statistic-keeping began.

According to preliminary figures of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the internal affairs ministry, 16,943 people nationwide were transported to hospitals for suspected heat stroke in June, exceeding the previous record of 15,969 in 2022.