Since the beginning of statistics in 1898, last record in 2023
Japan’s average temperature in 2024 was the highest ever recorded for the second consecutive year, since statistics began in 1898, in the face of global warming and anomalous disturbances from the Western Front. This was announced by the National Meteorological Agency (Jma), reporting that the average temperature in the year just ended was 1.48 degrees centigrade warmer than the average value in the 30 years up to 2020, exceeding the difference of 1. 29 degrees recorded in 2023. In recent years, Japan has highlighted a trend of constantly increasing temperatures, in particular in the five-year period 2019-2024 – which ranks among the top six hottest years ever.
Last autumn, record average temperatures were observed, the JMA notes, just like in summer; and in particular the months of April, July and October recorded historic highs. Specifically, the highest temperature reported nationwide in 2024 was 41 degrees on July 29 in Tochigi Prefecture. The heat lingered into autumn, with the mercury in central Tokyo reaching 30.1 degrees on October 19. All regions of the archipelago except the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and Hokuriku in central Japan showed above-average temperatures, with more than 70 percent of the 153 observation points breaking records .
