Record-Breaking Early End to Rainy Season in Multiple Japanese Regions

On June 27th, people were seen using parasols and fans to cope with the intense heat at the Osaka Kansai Expo site.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported on the same day that the rainy season likely concluded much earlier than usual in several regions of Japan, including southern and northern Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kinki.

If the agency's assessment is confirmed, the end of the rainy season in northern Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kinki would be the earliest since record-keeping began in 1951. For southern Kyushu, it would be the second earliest on record.

Typically, the rainy season concludes around mid-July in these areas. However, this year, a powerful Pacific high-pressure system caused the seasonal rain front to shift northward much sooner.

Compared to the previous year, the rainy season ended 19 days earlier in southern Kyushu, 20 days earlier in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, 24 days earlier in Chugoku, and 21 days earlier in Kinki. Compared to the average year, the rainy season ended 18 days earlier in southern Kyushu, 22 days earlier in northern Kyushu, 20 days earlier in Shikoku, and 22 days earlier in Chugoku and Kinki.

The earliest recorded end dates for the rainy season were July 1st in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, and July 3rd in Chugoku and Kinki.

It's important to note that the JMA's initial announcements regarding the rainy season's start and end are preliminary. Official figures will be released in September after a thorough review of summer weather data and other relevant factors. Historically, revisions to the preliminary end-of-season announcements have sometimes been as significant as a month.