Japan's average temperature likely hit record high in 2024

ISTANBUL

Japan’s average temperature is likely to hit a record high for the second consecutive year, according to preliminary figures released Wednesday by the country’s weather agency.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on Wednesday, the high temperatures were due to warm air being brought in by westerlies that traveled further north than usual in addition to the effects of global warming.

"It can be said that temperatures were abnormally high," a weather agency official said.

Average temperature through November was 1.64 C warmer than the annual average for the 30-year period until 2020, hitting the highest level since the agency started releasing data in 1898 and higher than last year's, which exceeded the average by 1.29 C, according to the Kyodo news agency.

Comparing the longer-term curve of rising temperatures, the annual average temperature has risen 1.35 C every 100 years, the weather agency said.

Japan's temperatures have kept rising in recent years, with the five years between 2019 and 2023 dominating the top five hottest years.