Tokyo breaks heatwave records

Tokyo this week recorded its tenth consecutive day with temperatures of at least 35 degrees Celsius, setting an all-time record since meteorological measurements began in 1875. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed that such a string of hot days is a first and reflects the trend of rising temperatures associated with climate change.

• Climate change amplifies extremes

Scientists warn that global warming caused by human activities is making heatwaves more intense, more frequent and more widespread. Even though Japanese meteorologists emphasize that direct links cannot be established between a specific episode and long-term climate change, the scientific consensus is that global warming is contributing to the intensification of these phenomena.

• Record rainfall and extreme phenomena in the archipelago

The heatwave in Tokyo comes after a series of remarkable weather events in Japan. On Tuesday, the city of Toyotomi, located on the island of Hokkaido, recorded the amount of precipitation equivalent to an entire month of rain in just 12 hours. Earlier this month, the city of Kirishima, in the southwest of the archipelago, was hit by 500 mm of rain in just 24 hours - double the average for the entire month of August.

• Hot summers and abnormal autumns

Weather statistics confirm the alarming trend: the summers of 2023 and 2024 were the hottest ever recorded in Japan, tied, and the autumn of 2024 was the warmest since measurements began. This development is changing ecosystems, agricultural cycles and even cultural traditions.

• Nature in disarray: cherry blossoms and snow on Fuji

Japan's national symbols are also feeling the effects of climate change. Cherry blossoms, famous for their spectacular blooms, are either opening their flowers earlier in spring or not blooming at all due to too mild winters. At the same time, the snow cap on Mount Fuji - the country's iconic image - only set in early November in 2023, a month later than the historical average.

• A future under the sign of uncertainty

Although the current heat wave could end on Thursday, with temperatures forecast to drop below 35 degrees, the message sent by nature is clear: Japan is facing an accelerated climate transformation. Repeated records, the alternation between sweltering heat and torrential rain, but also visible changes in the rhythms of nature announce increasingly complex social, economic and public health challenges.