Tokyo sets a new record with 34 straight days of rain
The rainy-day streak is the longest since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1886.
On Tuesday, Tokyo recorded its longest stretch of consecutive rainy days in history, with 34 straight days of precipitation. This surpasses the previous record of 33 days set during the same period in 2019, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The JMA began tracking rainfall in 1886, so this is an unprecedented occurrence.
The current rainy period began on August 27, when Tokyo received 5 millimeters of rain. Although many days have seen minimal rainfall, two powerful typhoons in September intensified the downpour. Typhoon Krovanh deposited over 150 millimeters of rain over September 6 and 7, while Typhoon Dujuan peaked at 156 millimeters on September 21. Dujuan's heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in the Kanto region, resulting in at least 10 deaths and significant damage to buildings, agriculture, and infrastructure.
As Typhoon Surigae approaches from the northeast, it may make landfall and bring additional rain to the Kanto region, particularly in Chiba Prefecture, which is still recovering from Dujuan's impact. The Japan Meteorological Agency has forecasted rain for Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday, potentially extending the rainy streak.
Tokyo has experienced an unusually high amount of rain throughout the year, with September being the second wettest month since recordkeeping began in 1875. The city recorded 629 millimeters of precipitation in September alone, tying for the second-highest amount since 1875. The annual rainfall through September 28 reached 1,949.5 millimeters, marking the third-highest total for a year since 1951.
The prolonged rainfall has also resulted in historically low levels of sunshine. Central Tokyo received only 46.8 hours of sunlight over the past month, which is just 36% of the yearly average for the same period. During the recent rainy streak, there have been 14 days with no sunshine at all. Under the current subscription plan, readers are unable to comment on this story. To comment, subscribers must create a display name in the Profile section of their subscriber account page.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
