Japan Records Hottest Year Since 1898 Amidst Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported on January 6 that the year 2023 has set a new record for the highest temperatures since the agency's records began in 1898. The average temperature in Japan throughout the year was recorded at 1.48 degrees Celsius above the baseline average from 1991 to 2020, surpassing the previous year's record that was already elevated by 1.29 degrees Celsius.

This alarming trend aligns with observations from global climate agencies that forecasted 2024 to potentially be the warmest year confirmed in history, highlighting a decade characterized by extreme weather and raised temperatures globally. The JMA noted that Japan's temperature has been increasing at a rate of 1.40 degrees Celsius per century, with significant rises noted particularly since the 1990s.

Kaoru Takahashi, a JMA official specializing in weather information, acknowledged climate change as a contributing factor to this temperature increase. He explained that the shifting of westerly winds, which normally flow from west to east, has moved further northward, leading to an influx of warmer air into Japan.