It’s been raining in Tokyo for more than a month now, breaking a record at least 150 years old

Tokyo has been experiencing an unprecedented rainfall event, with no significant break in the precipitation since August 27, marking 34 consecutive days of rain. This remarkable streak stands as a record, likely the longest in the past 150 years, as the government only began tracking such data in 1876. The previous record was set between June 27 and July 29, 2019, with 33 days of rain.

This relentless downpour is beyond the norm, even considering Japan's typical rainy season, which usually brings heavy rains from late June to early July. Typhoons often bring brief periods of rain in August and early September, but they typically result in some respite as they move away from the main island of Honshu. However, this year has been different.

Typhoons 24 and 25, known as Topical Storm Krovanh and Typhoon Dujuan, remained near Japan, causing persistent wet weather throughout September. Although Typhoon 26 does not appear to directly pass over Tokyo, its associated rain front has still brought significant moisture to the region. Despite Tokyo having observed rain for 34 days straight, this does not mean unending rainfall.

Meteorologists note that Tokyo has received only about 40 percent of the sunlight it would typically get in a typical September. However, there is hope on the horizon, with forecasts predicting a sunny day with light clouds on October 1, assuming Typhoon 26 does not veer closer to Tokyo.